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On Thursday, September 12, the South Korean media outlet YTN reported that NewJeans may attempt to leave HYBE Labels through a legal battle. Previously, on September 11, the K-pop girl group kickstarted a live stream through a new YouTube channel.
During the same, they talked about their recent experience under the new ADOR management and HYBE Labels. They not only stated that they felt mistreated and dismissed by the agency but also demanded the return of CEO Min Hee-jin. The members felt that the former CEO was an integral part of NewJeans' functioning and identity as a music artist.
Therefore, they urged HYBE Labels to reinstate Min Hee-jin as ADOR's CEO. YTN stated that the K-pop girl group gave HYBE Labels until September 25 to fulfill their ultimatum. However, if the agency fails to bring back Min Hee-jin, then the members are likely to enter a legal battle against HYBE Labels and thereby terminate their contract with the agency.
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All you need to know about ADOR's new management and NewJeans' recent YouTube live-stream
On August 27, ADOR released a statement that Min Hee-jin resigned from her position as the agency's CEO and that Kim Ju-young, the chief HR of HYBE Labels, was appointed as her replacement. However, Min Hee-jin will continue to work as the internal director of ADOR.
In addition to the change in the agency's CEO, the structure also shifted. The production and management of ADOR will be separated, and ADOR is the only company under HYBE Labels that functions this way. Following this announcement, NewJeans members expressed their displeasure with the new structure of ADOR.
They stated that the separation between the production and management team has not been working out for them. The members also expressed unhappiness with the treatment they received from the HYBE staff members. NewJeans member Hanni shared her encounter with one of the staff on the fourth floor of the company's building, where artists get their hair and makeup done.
She stated that when she saw a group and their manager pass by her, she and the manager greeted each other. However, when they passed by her again while leaving, the manager allegedly told the members to ignore her. Hanni expressed that she was hurt and dumbfounded by the same.
She also claimed that her concerns were constantly dismissed by the new CEO, Kim Ju-young. She shared that when she took her concerns to Kim Ju-young, the CEO allegedly made her feel like a liar.
“When I saw that she was trying to move on from that matter I realized that the person who protected us is gone. I realized that we have no higher-ups that care about us anymore. I told her honestly but she made me feel like a liar.” she said.
Furthermore, the other members also expressed their concerns over their treatment. Danielle stated that HYBE has been unfair and inhumane to them. She also expressed that the NewJeans members are scared of what might happen to them and the other ADOR employees in the future and reached out for help through their livestream.
