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On September 26, 2024, HYBE responded to allegations made by former Adore CEO Min Hee-jin, stating that the suspension of NewJeans' fan meeting and delays in album production were due to Min's negligence. The company claimed that many of Min's statements in his interview with JoongAng Ilbo were inaccurate.
They explained that the fan meeting was postponed because of issues with the Seoul World Cup Stadium's turf, and Min's repeated delays and absences hindered progress on the album and other fan-related initiatives.
It stated,
"The suspension of fan meeting and album production is not because of HYBE, but rather Min's negligence and delay in making decisions. The surprise Korean fanmeeting and the interruption of album production were not due to Min’s resignation as CEO and the exclusion of the Vice President from work."
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It further continued,
"ADOR was considering the Seoul World Cup Stadium as the venue for the Korean fan meeting, but the rental was rejected due to turf issues."
HYBE strongly denied that it had ever offered Min a financial settlement to end her tenure. They condemned such claims as baseless and clarified that the audit into Min’s activities was conducted thoroughly based on credible internal and external reports and is currently under police investigation.
More from HYBE's official statement released against Min Hee-jin's claims
Contrary to Min Hee-jin's depiction of the audit as random and unjust, the music label maintained that it was prompted by serious concerns, including allegations of attempts to undermine the company from within.
Regarding the controversy over album sales in Japan, the music house argued that recent reports misrepresented the figures by confusing shipment numbers with actual sales. They explained that the "Gold" certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan was based on shipments, not sales. It stated,
"There is a subtle distortion of facts regarding album sales in Japan by mixing up shipment and sales figures. The claim that "1.02 million copies were sold only in Japan" is a significant misrepresentation, as it is based on publicly available Oricon chart data at the time. The day after this article was published, it was revealed that the Japan Record Association certified gold status (100,000 copies), but this gold certification is based on shipment figures, not actual sales."
Despite attempts to engage Min in finding alternatives and moving forward with the album, her lack of timely communication resulted in significant setbacks for the fans.
The company also addressed claims about the board of directors’ meeting agenda, stating that Min Hee-jin was clearly informed of the agenda three days prior to the meeting, contrary to her assertions. HYBE concluded by criticizing Min’s dissemination of false information and urged her to refocus on his responsibilities to the artists and fans.
"Director Min is seriously disqualified as a manager simply by spreading false information through interviews. I hope he returns to his main job and devotes himself to his work for the artists and fans."
HYBE’s statement came a day after the deadline set by NewJeans for reinstating Min Hee-jin as the CEO of ADOR, a demand that HYBE denied.
