“We are not going to follow HYBE's every order blindly”- NewJeans addresses their feelings amid ongoing HYBE x ADOR’s Min Hee-jin feud

On September 11, 2024, NewJeans aired a live stream on a newly created YouTube channel, where all five members voiced their feelings, 2 weeks after Min Hee-jin's reported resignation from the role of ADOR's CEO.

The members including Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, spoke up about a HYBE manager allegedly asking an artist to ignore Hanni, how they learned about Min Hee-jin's dismissal as CEO, and other things during their 30-minute live stream.

On August 27, Min Hee-jin's replacement as ADOR's CEO was announced by the label through an official statement. Kim Ju-young was then declared the new CEO. In their live stream titled "What NewJeans Want To Say", the K-pop girl group revealed how they got to know this information through the media.

They even expressed concern and surprise over their pre-debut videos apparently being leaked. While it was also disclosed how a HYBE manager allegedly instructed their artist to ignore NewJeans' Hanni, the group also vocalized how the feud is getting in the way of their work and they have unanimously decided not to "follow HYBE's every order blindly."

"Just like we have our own and individual personal feelings, we have the choice to choose how we will react to each situation and we are not going to follow HYBE's every order blindly. We're more than well aware that this is getting in the way of our work."

They further spoke about Min Hee-jin's "irreplaceable" role in their careers, stating:

"Min Heejin is not only the person that produced our music, but someone who makes NewJeans, who we are. (..) We all feel that she is irreplaceable."(Via X/@AboutMusicYT)

Members took turns addressing their individual concerns and questioning what went wrong, pledging to go on raising their voices amid the ongoing circumstances. The group even demanded Min Hee-jin be reinstated as the CEO of ADOR by September 25.

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More details shared by NewJeans members amid the ongoing conflict between HYBE and ADOR's Min Hee-jin

As the feud between HYBE and ADOR's Min Hee-jin has been going on for around six months now, the members during their "What NewJeans Want To Say" livestream spoke about their exhaustion owing to these issues. They spoke about having dreams they want to achieve and the fear of losing the team's individuality and work.

Following NewJeans' Hanni's revelation of being allegedly ignored by a HYBE manager, Minji stated she was extremely shocked when the former discussed the matter with her.

She further voiced her astonishment at how a manager could ask a team member to ignore someone from the company. She also said that she is concerned regarding how many such incidents will occur in the future.

Hanni further disclosed how she was made to feel like a liar when she relayed her concerns to the current ADOR CEO and the latter allegedly dismissed her as there was no proof. Reacting to the dismissal, Hanni said:

"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."

Member Danielle questioned if something had gone wrong, setting down what the group deserved as the present situation persisted. She further expressed how she is "scared" as to what might be the fate of their staff and demanded the right to make the music NewJeans enjoy making.

"Did we do something wrong? Our CEO got moved down, we aren’t able to work with our director, I’m so scared to see what might happen to our staff. If you really care about us, don’t just say you will protect us, let us make the music we enjoy and want to make.” (via X/@PopBase)

Amid other statements, Hyein also noted firmly how the group felt the need to step up and take action instead of going on waiting. She said:

"I felt that it wasn't right for us to just hide behind while you were stepping up to help us. Also, this is an issue that affects the lives of the five of us, so we can't just leave it to the adults and keep waiting." (via X/@Alucardaviary)

While sharing her final words during the livestream, Hanni stated the importance of NewJeans vocalizing their individual thoughts and how they choose to react to a situation. She further stated it is hard to believe that they want to help the group after the recent events and that the group wants the right treatment and not just promises.

Meanwhile, the new YouTube channel on which the group broadcasted its livestream has now seemingly been deleted.