"Silence is also a form of opinion" — HYBE's PR Head claims LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT facing mental strain due to Min Hee-jin's false allegations

HYBE
HYBE's PR Head claims LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT facing mental strain due to Min Hee-jin. (Images via X/@ILLIT_official and @le_sserafim)

On October 14, 2024, Top Star News released an alleged phone call recording between HYBE's PR Head and a journalist. In the recording, the PR Head claimed that Min Hee-jin's accusations against ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM had caused them mental strain and breakdown.

As per the report, the PR Head stated that HYBE Corporation (parent company of ADOR) established many labels so that Chairman Bang Si-hyuk wouldn't have to oversee every detail. This further enabled each label to function independently in terms of administration and creativity. However, they had to file a lawsuit against Min Hee-jin as she accused ILLIT of plagiarising NewJeans.

"When Group A under Belift Lab was criticized as 'fake New Jeans,' those artists were completely mentally devastated. "That's why I had no choice but to file a lawsuit in order to comfort the artists and the fans. The same goes for Source Music. Most of the members of Source Music's Group B are mentally unstable right now."

The PR Head continued to mention that Chairman Bang Si-hyuk has maintained silence on the ongoing controversy. He emphasized Min Hee-jin's attempt to take over ADOR and its girl group NewJeans from its parent company, even when HYBE owns 80% of ADOR's shares and NewJeans is a HYBE asset.

The PR Head added that Bang Si-hyuk and Min Hee-jin aren't on the same level for him to get involved directly. Addressing Bang Si-hyuk's lack of comment on the situation, he stated that:

"Silence is also a form of opinion."

He further said:

"To be honest, it's absolutely not like Min Hee-jin and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk are hanging out together like that...It makes no sense. Even Chairman Bang Si-hyuk is currently one of the 10 richest people in our country and the head of a large conglomerate. Why would a CEO do that? It would only boost Min Hee-jin's value."
NewJeans Fandom Released Full 7-Minute Recording Between Hybe PR and Reporter Jang Hyung-Woo. (Image via X/@jaemgwan)
NewJeans Fandom Released Full 7-Minute Recording Between Hybe PR and Reporter Jang Hyung-Woo. (Image via X/@jaemgwan)

NewJeans allegedly dropped from HYBE's 2024 Q4 release schedule

On October 14, 2024, HYBE released its 2024 Q4 (October to December) album release plans for all its idol groups. However, NewJeans fans observed that the schedule didn't mention any future activities of the rookie girl group from ADOR. The post went viral on the Korean online forum, TheQoo.

Meanwhile, the parent company's ongoing feud with former ADOR CEO, Min Hee-jin has been going on since April 2024. She was accused of taking over ADOR by overthrowing the parent company's management. Reportedly, she also conspired with Dunamu to crash HYBE's stocks in the market.

In August 2024, ADOR's board of directors dismissed Min Hee-jin from her role and appointed Kim Joo-young as the label's new CEO. Meanwhile, due to the ongoing tussle between the two parties, NewJeans voiced their support for Min Hee-jin.

Fans believe that this is why the parent company could have removed them from the Q4 schedule and allegedly halted their activities. However, Min Hee-jin previously mentioned in September of this year that her ongoing feud had caused her to halt NewJeans' future activities.

"There have been major disruptions. I was dismissed while planning a surprise fan meeting for Korean fans. Vice presidents were also abruptly excluded from their duties and cut off. The work on the next album has also been suspended. It’s truly heartbreaking. This, too, is an act of obstruction HYBE is committing against NewJeans."

Currently, Min Hee-jin filed an injunction to be reappointed as ADOR's CEO. However, the court decided to give its final verdict by the end of October 2024.

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Edited by Sreerupa Das
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