On January 27, TV Daily released a report about NewJeans, which is translated below.
As 2025 begins, NewJeans has taken a more vocal stance in criticizing ADOR, an agency with which they are currently embroiled in a contract dispute. The group has released several official statements expressing their distrust of ADOR and has even begun soliciting ideas for a new group name. According to the five members of NewJeans, they are currently without an agency, claiming that their contract was terminated as of midnight on November 29, 2024.
This means that all of NewJeans’ subsequent actions are perceived externally as “voluntary choices,” and the members themselves are likely to bear any legal responsibilities arising from these actions.
In contrast, Min Hee Jin, the former CEO of ADOR who last year publicly criticized both HYBE Labels and ADOR, has taken a more subdued approach. Known for her sensitivity to public criticism, she has remained silent on the central issue of the “NewJeans scandal”—the allegations of tampering. (The ongoing legal and public conflict between HYBE, ADOR, Min Hee Jin, and NewJeans is collectively referred to as the “NewJeans scandal.”)
With Min Hee Jin staying quiet and NewJeans amplifying their voices, how is the K-pop industry reacting to the situation? In December 2024, the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) announced that any artist accused of tampering would face repercussions, including the exclusion of their album and digital sales data from chart rankings. The KMCA emphasized that even being implicated in tampering could result in penalties.
A KMCA official expressed concern about the potential damage the “NewJeans scandal” could do to the entertainment industry’s reputation.
The official stated, “The members of NewJeans appear unable to differentiate between a performance bond agreement and an investment contract. For anyone with a basic understanding of business or the market, NewJeans’ claims are not even worth responding to. However, their ongoing public statements raise concerns about their potential negative influence on young people with no experience in the professional world.”
The official pointed out that NewJeans seems to lack an understanding of the financial and legal complexities underlying the current dispute. The official explained, “I worry that their reasoning might be perceived as a form of conviction by impressionable teenagers.”
The official also suggested that if Min Hee Jin truly wanted to protect NewJeans, she should discourage the group from speaking out. Even if their actions are entirely self-initiated, preventing them from directly engaging in the dispute would have been a way to safeguard them. They added, “When the members themselves take such public action, it could be perceived as an attempt to sway public opinion. The one who should have stopped this is none other than Min Hee Jin.”
The official also criticized the public handling of the dispute, warning that the ongoing media coverage and public statements harm not only the group’s image but also the K-pop market. They said, “Conflicts are inevitable in business. They should be resolved through legal means, not through public forums and press conferences, as these approaches damage both the artist’s image and the K-pop industry as a whole.”
One significant concern is that the “NewJeans scandal” could deter future investments in K-pop. The official explained, “If contracts can simply be terminated through unilateral notification, who would invest in the K-pop market? No investor would want to commit to such an unstable industry in the long term. This is why we’ve issued such a firm stance, calling for self-regulation within the industry.”
The tampering allegations have further complicated the matter. Reports surfaced that ‘A,’ the uncle of a NewJeans member, and Min Hee Jin were seen meeting with ‘B,’ the actual owner of DAVOLINK, a company reportedly involved in the scandal. B allegedly inquired about ways to extract NewJeans from their contract. While these claims have fueled the tampering accusations, Min Hee Jin and A’s defense—that they were merely meeting as long-time acquaintances—makes it difficult to prove tampering under current laws.
The official explained that such incidents are increasingly common in the K-pop industry due to the influx of massive capital. They stated, “At its core, the NewJeans scandal is also about money.”
The official analyzed the current dynamics between NewJeans and Min Hee Jin, noting that the group seems to prioritize emotional bonds over business logic. The official explained, “It appears that NewJeans feels a strong need to support those they have personal connections with, believing that their company has treated these individuals unfairly and that they must stand up for them.”
They added, “As time passes and the members mature, they will likely view this situation from a different perspective and realize that the issue could have been resolved more clearly and efficiently. However, at this stage, emotional ties seem to dominate their actions.”
Finally, the official issued a warning about the broader implications of tampering in the K-pop industry. They explained, “From a free-market perspective, competing with capital to recruit artists may appear to drive growth, but it ultimately increases tampering cases. In the long term, this will discourage investments in the industry rather than promote its growth.”
Despite the KMCA official’s stance, many Korean netizens are questioning the authenticity of the statement, accusing the article of being yet another instance of media manipulation by HYBE.
In response to the TVDaily article, Korean netizens commented:
“HYBE never stops with their media play, not even during the holidays. Truly impressive, lol.”
“Aren’t the ones negatively impacting teenagers the company that circulated internal documents rating idols’ appearances and writing malicious comments? (I’m genuinely asking.)”
“That anonymous insider again, lol. So sick of it, seriously.”
“If there’s anything causing negative influence, it’s probably HYBE’s internal documents. I’d love to know what they think about that.”
“The one who quietly blew the whistle was Min Hee Jin, and it was HYBE who started this ridiculous media war over baseless embezzlement allegations. Yet everything gets blamed on Min Hee Jin. Just quietly wait for the trial results instead of doing dirty political tactics like leaking private information. Disgusting company.”
“Anonymous insider? Pretty obvious which side they’re from, lol.”
“How is it that there isn’t a single organization that stands up for the artists? This is shameful, not something a developed country would do. They should seriously reflect.”
“They’re always anonymous, lol. Can’t they just come forward confidently for once instead of always hiding?”
“Min Hee Jin, fighting! NewJeans, fighting! Beat them with the truth and your conscience, not coercion.”
“It’s Min Hee Jin’s fault.”
“Min Hee Jin was K-pop itself, but what do these clueless people think they know, calling her ‘lacking in understanding.’ Honestly disgusting. Try becoming someone of her level first.”
“And then it’ll gradually be forgotten, right? Bye-bye~.”
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