For the past few months, one of the hottest K-pop groups in the world has been embroiled in a bitterly prolonged, extremely messy, highly confusing controversy—and its fate hangs in the balance. NewJeans, the globally successful Gen Z Korean girl group behind hits like “Super Shy” and “OMG,” has been at the center of an ongoing legal dispute between Min Hee-jin—the CEO of their label, Ador—and the executive board of Ador’s parent label, Hybe. News of an internal audit in April signaled the full dissolution of Min’s working relationship with Hybe, shocking fans and stoking fears that NewJeans’ future was at stake. But in the months since the first stone was cast, the story has only become stranger, growing to encompass corporate intrigue, furious online petitions, multiple lawsuits, accusations of falsification, and even the official Instagram account of a dog belonging to one of the members of BTS, the undisputed kings of K-pop. If you’re already scratching your head in puzzlement, don’t worry—you’re not the only one. Below, a breakdown of the drama surrounding these rising stars and one of the biggest scandals in pop music right now. Sorry, who is NewJeans? NewJeans is a five-member K-pop girl group that debuted in 2022 under Ador, a subsidiary label that’s part of Hybe, the company behind BTS. The members—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—struck a chord with K-pop fans (and converted many non-K-pop-listeners into fans) by adopting a nostalgic Y2K aesthetic and electronic sound reminiscent of music in the 1990s and 2000s. While being massively popular in Korea, NewJeans has also found success internationally, with some early singles, like the song “Ditto,” breaking records for their charting durations on Billboard’s Global 200. Their most recent hit, last year’s “Super Shy,” marked their highest-charting single on Billboard’s Global 200, Billboard’s Hot 100, and the U.K. Singles Chart. You don’t have to take it just from me, however: Slate’s music critic, Carl Wilson, declared NewJeans’ 2023 EP one of the 12 best albums of last year. The mind behind NewJeans is Min Hee-jin, who was known for her work as a creative director at a different major Korean entertainment company, SM Entertainment, before hopping over to Big Hit Entertainment in 2019. In 2021, Big Hit rebranded and restructured into Hybe Corporation, a multinational entertainment company with a number of sublabels. Min oversaw the vision for a new girl group, which she developed and debuted under Ador, a subsidiary that she created. Min was made CEO of Ador, with Hybe owning an 80 percent stake in the company and Min owning 18 percent (other executives own the remaining 2 percent, per news reports). Oh, cool! I think I’ve heard “Super Shy.” So, what happened? On April 22, news broke that Hybe had launched an audit of Ador and asked Min to step down, later confirming that the reason why was related to suspicions that Min was attempting a coup for sole management rights of Ador (and thus, NewJeans). According to Hybe, the audit was spurred on by Min voicing concerns that Hybe’s new girl group, ILLIT—which had recently debuted under a different subsidiary label with the hit single “Magnetic”—bears too many similarities to NewJeans. In response to the audit, Ador issued a statement accusing Hybe of plagiarism, creative infringement, and targeted attempts to undermine NewJeans’ (and Ador’s) achievements. Min highlighted ILLIT’s concept, choreography, music videos, and look, among other factors, as evidence that the group was copying NewJeans—a particularly charged accusation, given the fact that Hybe’s own chairman, Bang Si-hyuk, had produced ILLIT’s debut EP. Min claimed that rather than responding to an internal complaint that Ador had sent Hybe requesting that the company protect “the cultural achievements” of NewJeans, Hybe chose to oust her. (Hybe denied these claims.) In an April 25 press release, Hybe stated that the audit surfaced evidence proving Min was planning a hostile takeover, alleging that the executive had instructed her employees to come up with tactics to “pressure” Hybe to sell its shares in Ador, considered prematurely terminating contracts to make Ador an “empty shell” to lessen its value so she could buy it back, and told her employees to anticipate a “battle of public opinion in May.” Hybe reported that an auditee had even admitted to fabricating documents to “attack” the company; Hybe also claimed that confidential files, information, and contracts had been disclosed to outsiders in the process. All of which added up to Hybe reporting Min to law enforcement; Min, in response, held a press conference later that same day to dispute the claims. Mind you, this was all happening right before NewJeans’ comeback, a track called “Bubble Gum,” was scheduled to premiere. OK, wow. So, what did Min say at the press conference? Min definitely got emotional. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, which has a detailed translation of Min’s speech, she denied that she attempted a corporate takeover of Ador, and countered that almost all of Hybe’s “evidence” consists of messages taken out of context, while also claiming, “No one has done what I have done during the 30 years in K-pop.” She also detailed how the conception of NewJeans had been a fraught topic between her and Hybe chairman Bang, who she said had wanted her to facilitate the debut of another group called Le Sserafim instead. A Korean outlet had reported that the original audit found evidence of Min claiming that Bang had copied her to make BTS—a claim that royally pissed off BTS’ fanbase, known as BTS Army. Min vehemently denied these claims at her press conference. She also addressed the issue of a shaman (yes, a shaman): Hybe alleged that they had received transcripts of Min “consulting” a shaman about major business decisions, including mentioning that it would be beneficial for her if BTS was away while members fulfilled their military service requirements—which, to a lot of fans, sounded like Min was spiritually plotting for BTS’ downfall. In addition to the purported BTS comments, the transcripts allegedly show Min calling the NewJeans members “dumb,” asking the shaman: “These dumb kids will listen to me obediently, right? None of them will give me trouble?” Min stated that the shaman was a friend, not someone she had been talking to in a spiritual capacity. As for BTS, she said that she never said anything about the group copying her, and that regarding the military service comments, she had merely been curious about a game plan if Hybe’s biggest group were absent. (Several BTS members are currently doing their military service.) Finally, Min asserted that all she cares about is the success and health of NewJeans, and that she has no intention of leaving Hybe because of that. Unsurprisingly, Hybe refuted all of her claims. How did fans respond to this initial tiff? I know K-pop fans can be, let’s just say, vocal. NewJeans fans, known by the fandom name of Bunnies, were upset and remain so to this day. Many blame Min for the fallout, with countless social media posts and chat board messages admonishing Min for her alleged behavior. But where Min really screwed herself over when it comes to the public’s perception of her is by mentioning other K-pop groups. Even if she didn’t explicitly disparage groups like Le Sserafim, ILLIT, and BTS, her comments about them still rankled their fans and other onlookers. A Change.org petition calling for Min to leave Hybe due not only to her alleged conduct but also to her remarks about those other groups has garnered almost 100,000 signatures. OK, so what happened to Min Hee-jin? In early May, Hybe requested an emergency shareholders’ meeting to vote out Min and replace other key Ador board members. Min filed for an injunction to stop the meeting, with all five NewJeans members submitting court petitions siding with Min’s injunction request, while other Hybe execs filed petitions siding with the parent company. The injunction was eventually granted after the court determined that Hybe didn’t have enough evidence against Min to support a dismissal. Although Hybe was prevented from voting Min out, the company successfully dismissed two other Ador executives, replacing them with three new ones from Hybe. Min then held another press conference, during which she claimed that NewJeans’ plans to embark on a world tour next year were dependent on plans to release an album at the end of this year—all of which are halted while she litigates with Hybe. Meanwhile, a letter supporting Min, allegedly written by parents of NewJeans members, was published to a Korean news outlet, but Hybe not only refuted the claims within the letter, but also claimed that the letter was written by Min. Not to be outdone, ILLIT’s label, Belift Labs, filed a lawsuit against Min for “obstruction of business and defamation” in May, and then again in June, to specifically find Min responsible for “the damages suffered by our artists” and staff. As of yet, there are no updates on either lawsuit. Wow, that’s a lot of lawsui— There’s more! In July, another Hybe imprint, Source Music, also filed a lawsuit against Min for defamation regarding press-conference claims she had made about the debut process of Le Sserafim. As this was happening, Hybe CEO Park Ji-won stepped down, Min was reportedly questioned by law enforcement for eight hours, a NewJeans member penned a personal handwritten letter of support to Min, and Min was also accused of mishandling a previous allegation of sexual assault made by a female Ador staffer against a male executive. Finally, on Aug. 27, news broke that Min would step down as CEO of Ador, to be replaced by Kim Ju-young, Hybe’s chief HR officer. Despite Min’s resignation—which she claimed was not her choice—she would “remain on the company’s board of directors and continue to produce music for NewJeans,” according to a statement by Ador. Min, however, issued a statement in which she rejected Hybe’s offer to keep producing for the group, calling the proposed contract—which Ador claimed was just a holdover until Min’s contract expires in November—“unreasonable.” Whew, OK, so it looks like that’s a wrap on Min. What’s going on with NewJeans? Min-specific troubles aside, not all is well with the girl group. Earlier this month, Shin Woo-seok, a music video director responsible for NewJeans’ “Ditto” and “ETA” videos, alleged that Ador’s new management had requested that he remove all videos of NewJeans content from his YouTube channel and other social media accounts, as well as refrain from uploading planned future releases. This was widely interpreted as ominous, as Shin has shared behind-the-scenes content and extended cuts of the group’s videos in the past. However, Ador claimed that they only asked him to remove one video, a director’s cut of “ETA” that contained elements purportedly in dispute with advertisers. I feel like this is the millionth time I’m saying this, but: Wait, it gets worse. Days after news of Min’s resignation, three members of the group—Minji, Hanni, and Danielle—made posts to a fan community app expressing their concerns, anxiety, and frustration. Most recently, on Sept. 11, NewJeans conducted a half-hour clandestine YouTube livestream video, on a newly created account, “nwjns”—both of which have since been deleted—where the members addressed their feelings about the situation in both Korean and English. Here is a partial screen-recording of the livestream that was published by a NewJeans fan account. The three members, after explaining that trustworthy staffers had helped them set up the livestream and the location, proceeded to vocally support Min, demanding she be reinstated by Sept. 25. During the stream, the members also accused Hybe of fostering a toxic work environment between groups and refusing to adequately protect them from invasive social media posts and leaks, and brought up the music video controversy to express fear that their past work, as well as their future endeavors, are in jeopardy. NewJeans also expressed concerns regarding the expectation that Min could plan and creative-direct their future projects in just two months before her contract expires. Wow, this sounds like an awful lot of risk they’re taking on for Min, here. Is she really so core to the group? I cannot understate how integral Min is to the inception and success of NewJeans as a globally dominant K-pop group. As DJ and content creator Derrick Gee explains across many TikTok videos assessing the situation, Min is a tastemaker and an astute creative director. Not only is the group’s much-hailed concept and aesthetic her creation, but she took NewJeans into a new and innovative direction for K-pop. Though the girls did manage to have a successful comeback amid all this mess, dropping their EP Supernatural in June, fans fear for their future. Not only is it possible that the group could become collateral damage of the corporate fight, but it’s also difficult to imagine a version of NewJeans that is not entirely under Min’s creative control. I can’t imagine that Hybe is taking NewJeans’ loyalty to Min well. Hybe’s new CEO, Lee Jae-sang, reportedly responded to the group’s secret stream in a shareholder meeting, saying: “We will deal with it based on our rules,” and, “in retrospect, it was always the one who stuck to principles that won.” What happens if Hybe doesn’t cave to NewJeans’ demands by Sept. 25? According to Korea JoongAng Daily, so-called industry insiders believe that the group is preparing to file for an injunction on their contract with Ador, given that “standard contracts signed by K-pop artists state that a company has two weeks to fix a clause in the contract or make other necessary changes before the artists take the case to court.” It seems incredibly unlikely that Ador or Hybe will welcome Min back, meaning it is likely that the girls will have to litigate this out if they aren’t bluffing. According to the news outlet, if NewJeans wins the case, they can join any agency of their choosing, but if they don’t, they may “have to pay up to 300 billion won ($225 million) to break off the deal” with their label, as their contract reportedly states that artists must “pay the agency the group’s average monthly revenue over the past two years multiplied by the number of months left on the contract.” (Ador reportedly netted 110 billion won last year, and NewJeans has five more years left on their seven-year contract.) I’m almost scared to ask this, but is BTS Army going to crop up again in this scandal? BOO! In other words, yes, be very afraid. Army, as previously mentioned, isn’t fond of Min because of those earlier claims she allegedly made (then denied making) about the group. In response, these fans have been obliterating Min on social media, calling her a witch, starting the hashtag #MinHeeJinOut on X, and creating that Change.org petition. But here’s where things get interesting: Jungkook, the youngest member of BTS, may actually support NewJeans, if you believe some cryptic Instagram posts. On Sept. 14, he uploaded a photo of his dog, Bam, to Bam’s Instagram account (yes, it’s a whole thing), accompanied by the caption “Artists are not guilty” followed by five different-colored emoji hearts that, as some fans are speculating, correspond with the hues that NewJeans members use to represent themselves. A few hours later, he posted another photo of Bam with the caption “Don’t use them.” His label has since confirmed that Jungkook posted the messages because “he thought that under no circumstances should young artists be dragged into conflicts or used as a shield.” Was this a clear message to Min, to Hybe, or to his own fans telling them to stop targeting NewJeans? Possibly—or maybe Jungkook just likes vagueposting and hearts. I’m seriously asking: Will NewJeans and their fans be all right? From the looks of it, Bunnies seem to be hitting rock bottom. Not only is their favorite group potentially in danger of being disbanded or blacklisted—just last year, another popular K-pop group, Fifty Fifty, fell apart after launching a legal dispute against their label—but there’s also been plenty of infighting over who’s to blame for this mess. Some fans have turned on NewJeans for supporting Min, while others have accused Min of grooming the members, and others have toed the much more reasonable line of believing all the adults have failed these young girls. (Plenty of observers are also calling out hypocrisy among K-pop fans who say they hope their favorite idols are doing well and will feel encouraged to speak up about maltreatment, but are now attacking NewJeans for doing just that.) Ultimately, this pop sensation has become collateral in a battle of egos. The reality is that the Korean idol industry is a system of branding and products—selling a fantasy to fans. But idol group members aren’t just products—these are young girls, making it even more upsetting to realize that your favorite stars have little to no agency over their own careers or lives. Instead, they are beholden to C-suites and executive boards that are more focused on silly infighting for personal gain than the wants, wishes, and well-being of the factory-made, but very human, stars they created. Sorry to be blunt, but why should I care? I’m not even a K-pop fan. First of all, if you made it all the way to the end of this post, then I absolutely don’t believe that you 1) aren’t a K-pop fan, and 2) don’t care. But fine, I’ll humor you with an explanation: NewJeans is an incredibly popular group—this is almost like if Sabrina Carpenter were on the verge of suing her label and ceasing to exist as we currently know her if she loses. Beyond that, though, Hybe isn’t just a Korean entertainment corporation anymore. The company has landed stateside, establishing Hybe America—led by the infamous Scooter Braun—and partnering with the American record label Geffen to create a new international girl group (the creation process for which can be watched in the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy). Just a few months ago, the company went public with plans for what they are calling “HYBE 2.0,” an initiative that seeks to extend the company’s global reach by infusing K-pop sounds, methods, and structure into the Western pop landscape. Finally, this story has value as another example in a long list of entertainment companies treating their artists as pawns. If NewJeans really is gearing up for a fight against their label, then it’s going to be another tale of David and Goliath. Let’s hope that this David has a big enough rock.
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