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BTS, NewJeans and more; 10 K-pop groups name-dropped amid ADOR’s Min Hee Jin and HYBE feud
ADOR’s CEO Min Hee Jin held a conference on March 25th addressing her feud with HYBE in which 10 K-pop groups came up. Know which ones were mentioned.
Throughout her ongoing feud with HYBE, ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin has been linked to various other K-pop groups for reasons ranging from plagiarism accusations to other issues. On April 25, HYBE Corporation issued an interim report on ADOR as the latter organization began efforts to establish itself independently.
On that same day, HYBE Corporation filed a police complaint against Min Hee Jin. However, despite the legal action, Min Hee Jin met with the local press for two hours. Her impeccable sense of style and luxurious fashion choices became a topic of conversation, highlighting her influential presence in the industry.
NewJeans
At the heart of Min Hee Jin's feud with HYBE lies her desire to gain ownership of ADOR. As the "mother" figure to NewJeans, she has garnered support from the group's members and their families, who reached out to hear her side of the story. Interestingly, all five NewJeans members initially trained under Source Music until the latter half of 2021, handpicked by Source Music's CEO So Sung Jin.
Min Hee Jin transitioned to HYBE in 2019 as Chief Branding Officer, tasked with overseeing branding for HYBE's affiliate companies. However, she aimed to establish her own agency, leading to the creation of ADOR. Despite initially being responsible for debuting a new girl group under Source Music, Min Hee Jin sought to launch her own label, subsequently forming ADOR.
Notably, trainees from Source Music, including the current members of NewJeans (Minji, Hanni, Haerin, Danielle, Hyein), were brought into ADOR. However, the training expenses for these trainees during their time at Source Music were reportedly billed to the agency.
BTS
Reports emerged suggesting that Min Hee Jin had discussions with a shaman regarding BTS' military service and other matters. Allegedly, when seeking advice on whether to support their military enlistment, the shaman advised that it would benefit Min Hee Jin and ADOR for BTS not to receive an exemption. Additionally, Min Hee Jin reportedly made comments about the HYBE chairman, implying that his success stemmed from copying her.
The article hinted that since joining HYBE, Min Hee Jin privately expressed the belief that BTS had "copied" her. However, following claims that she accused BTS of plagiarism in a release by Yonhap News, Min Hee Jin clarified that she did not make such accusations.
aespa
During her press conference, Min Hee Jin revealed several text messages between herself and someone alleged to be Bang Si Hyuk. In one of these exchanges, the individual, believed to be the HYBE’s founder, allegedly asked Min Hee Jin if she could "crush aespa."
TWS
In a report by Yonhap News, TWS was among several groups allegedly accused of plagiarizing NewJeans by Min Hee Jin. However, during the press conference, Min Hee Jin denied ever making such claims, stating that she never accused TWS of copying her or NewJeans.
RIIZE
In the same report by Yonhap News, RIIZE was mentioned as one of the groups accused of plagiarizing NewJeans, allegedly by Min Hee Jin. According to her, SM Entertainment's RIIZE had also plagiarized NewJeans. However, later on, she denied ever making such a statement, claiming that she never accused RIIZE of copying NewJeans.
FIFTY FIFTY
After her feud was likened to the legal battle between FIFTY FIFTY and ATTRAKT, Min Hee Jin suggested that HYBE was trying to portray her as someone aiming to seize management rights. However, she strongly refuted these allegations. Pointing to the FIFTY FIFTY case, she asserted that she would never involve herself in such reckless actions.
ILLIT
When details about Min Hee Jin's feud with HYBE emerged, the ADOR CEO attracted attention for remarks regarding groups allegedly "copying" NewJeans, with ILLIT specifically mentioned. Following these initial reports, ADOR issued a statement alleging that HYBE aimed to smear Min Hee Jin's reputation after she expressed concern over ILLIT's supposed plagiarism of NewJeans.
During the press conference, as the controversy unfolded involving the members, Min Hee Jin clarified that ILLIT wasn't the issue, attributing blame to the adults surrounding them for creating a "copy" culture. She expressed frustration, stating that the statement portrayed her in an unfavorable light.
LE SSERAFIM
During her press conference, Min Hee Jin revealed that she departed Source Music after plans for debuting a new girl group changed unexpectedly. According to her, she was taken aback when informed about a group centered around LE SSERAFIM's Chaewon and Sakura, a decision that left her feeling "betrayed."
She had anticipated that NewJeans would be the first girl group to debut under HYBE, not LE SSERAFIM. Despite LE SSERAFIM's debut on May 2, 2022, NewJeans didn't debut until July 22, 2022. Min Hee Jin also highlighted the reported anger expressed by the parents of NewJeans members in reaction to the situation.
GFRIEND
Amidst the emergence of information about Source Music, accusations arose suggesting that Min Hee Jin and HYBE were responsible for pressuring GFRIEND to disband. Additionally, Min Hee Jin faced allegations of departing Source Music while leaving behind unresolved trainee costs, which reportedly created challenges for the label.
IVE
During the press conference, Min Hee Jin discussed the formation of NewJeans and highlighted how Sakura and Chaewon's existing popularity could potentially rival that of IVE. She noted that Sakura and Chaewon already boasted a dedicated fanbase, while IVE was also gaining traction in the industry.
This led Min Hee Jin to suggest that Bang PD lacked confidence in his new girl group, resulting in low expectations for their success. She implied that this lack of confidence played a role in her departure and subsequent creation of NewJeans.
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