"Misleading and fabricated": Netizens divided following allegations of HYBE's attempt to steal NewJeans' Louis Vuitton brand deal for LE SSERAFIM

On June 2, Pannchoa released an article claiming that HYBE reportedly attempted to steal NewJeans' brand deal from Louis Vuitton for LESSERAFIM. Recently, the full 20-page-long court verdict of the HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin's case was released and it explained the many reasons why the court ruled in favor of Min Hee-jin.

As per Pannchoa, a conflict reportedly arose between HYBE and ADOR while negotiating a deal with an overseas luxury brand deal, allegedly Louis Vuitton, who already had a contract with NewJeans. Therefore, in an attempt to secure the brand deal for LESSERAFIM from NewJeans, the Brand Synergy Team at HYBE allegedly lied to both ADOR and Louis Vuitton.

ADOR allegedly learned about the same later, which Min Hee-jin addressed during her first emergency press conference in April. She subsequently filed a complaint against the agency. HYBE then reportedly acknowledged the mistake and also paid ADOR three months' commission as reconciliation. However, following this post, netizens began expressing their thoughts on the matter and have been divided about the same.

While NewJeans' fans called out HYBE for supposed favoritism and its alleged unfair actions, LE SSERAFIM's fans criticized Pannchoa for sharing a "misleading" piece. They expressed that this controversy was debunked by HYBE on May 17 through a statement online.

"It’s crazy how HYBE did everything possible for NewJeans to fail and they’re still achieving so much success," said an X user.

"How can someone hate a group so much? Like why favoritism in a company as big and famous as HYBE? mentioned another X user.

"Oof. Hybe really didn’t want NewJeans to succeed," added a fan on X.

LE SSERAFIM fans naturally came to defend their K-pop idols.

"Stop lying, hybe debunked this a long time ago," said an X user.

"This was debunked by HYBE a long time ago. Sakura was the bridge between LV and LSRFM, they got invited to participate on LV events before signing ambassador contract. SKR also was the ambassador of LV before joining HYBE, the brand deal was secured by herself," mentioned another X user.

"Stop spreading this information. It is not part of court ruling," added a fan.

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All you need to know about HYBE and ADOR's feud amidst the recent controversy between fans of NewJeans and LE SSERAFIM

HYBE and ADOR's feud began at the beginning of April 2024. The former conducted an audit on ADOR after suspecting a power struggle. They also accused ADOR of spreading false information regarding its artists, leaking confidential documents, and more. Following the same, HYBE demanded the termination of Min Hee-jin.

However, Min Hee-jin filed a case and stated that HYBE didn't have solid evidence to remove her from ADOR. The court trial then concluded and the verdict was ruled in favor of Min Hee-jin. The court stated that HYBE's claims could not be proven, and hence, Min Hee-jin could continue as the ADOR CEO. The lawyer reacted to the verdict, and as per Koreaboo, they said:

"This verdict overwhelmingly rules against HYBE. To be honest, that is why Min Hee Jin stated that none of HYBE’s claims were accepted in court. She said that none of HYBE’s reasons to fire her were accepted in the courts, and she is basically right. In fact, the court rarely writes a verdict this unfavorable. For example, the language in the verdict is very explicit and clear, which usually isn’t the case. I think HYBE may have been shocked by this."

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On May 31, Min Hee-jin conducted a press conference and stated that she was happy about winning the case. Additionally, she explained that she would now be concentrating on executing her vision for NewJeans and restoring what ADOR was before the conflict. She then went on to suggest a reconciliation with HYBE.