The ongoing dispute between South Korean entertainment heavyweight HYBE, its subsidiary label ADOR, and the K-pop girl group NewJeans has become one of the most talked-about conflicts in the K-pop scene in recent times.
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ADOR, home to the beloved K-pop girl group NewJeans, is led by former SM Entertainment creative director Min Hee-jin and was anticipated to become one of HYBE’s most profitable labels. However, it has now found itself at the heart of a power struggle regarding the management and treatment of NewJeans, along with future creative endeavors under ADOR.
Founded in November 2021, Min Hee-jin established the label after serving two years as HYBE’s Chief Brand Officer. What started as a conflict over control of management and creative direction has evolved into a contentious battle between the entertainment conglomerate and the group over their artistic freedom and workers’ rights.
The future of NewJeans appears increasingly uncertain amidst the feud. While many questions remain unanswered in this ongoing conflict, below is a complete timeline of events that have transpired since the public emergence of their dispute.
April 22, 2024 – HYBE launches internal audit of ADOR
The initial signs of tension between HYBE and its subsidiary K-pop agency ADOR, which houses NewJeans, became apparent on April 22, when South Korean media reported that HYBE’s audit team initiated an investigation into ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and another unnamed executive.
HYBE later confirmed that the audit had commenced regarding suspicions that ADOR executives were attempting to seize control of the label, although specific staff members were not identified in the confirmation. Following this news, HYBE’s stock price began to decline.
April 22, 2024 – ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin accuses HYBE of “undermining” NewJeans’ success
Shortly after the news broke regarding HYBE’s audit of ADOR, CEO Min Hee-jin released a statement alleging that HYBE was “undermining” NewJeans’ success. She contended that HYBE had replicated the “makeup, costumes, choreography, photos, videos, and event appearances” of NewJeans for its latest girl group ILLIT, which debuted under a different subsidiary, Belift Lab, in late March.
Min further revealed that she had filed an official complaint about this “copycat issue” and that both HYBE and Belift Lab had “refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing, merely offering a string of excuses and delaying concrete responses.” In the same statement, she denied HYBE’s accusations against her regarding attempts to gain control of the company.
“I cannot comprehend how legitimate actions aimed at preserving the cultural achievements of affiliated artists like NewJeans are being misconstrued as actions against ADOR’s interests or as attempts to usurp its management rights,” she stated.
April 24, 2024 – HYBE CEO Park Ji-won claims to have discovered evidence of Min and other executives “trying to seize control” of ADOR
Yonhap News Agency reported that Park Ji-won sent a company-wide email asserting that evidence had been found indicating that ADOR executives were attempting to “seize control” of the label. Park added that appropriate actions would be taken after further verifying the facts through the audit. He also noted that the alleged takeover attempts were “set in motion long before ILLIT made their debut.”
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