In April of 2024, Korean entertainment conglomerate HYBE (home to artists such as BTS, LE SSERAFIM and, at least for now, NewJeans), launched a formal investigation of its subsidiary company ADOR and requested CEO Min Heejin to reign. This audit, through which HYBE determined that Min Heejin was allegedly planning a hostile takeover of the company, would go on to cause a long, complex chain of events that would send shockwaves through the entire industry. 

In the days following HYBE’s initial claims against Min, she made a series of very public, very emotional statements fighting back against the company. In one interview, she claimed that HYBE had copied NewJeans with their latest girl group ILLIT, and in another denounced HYBE’s accusations that she was attempting to take over ADOR. On April 25th, on the same day Min hosted an emergency press conference during which she name-dropped groups ILLIT, LE SSERAFIM, and BTS among others, HYBE officially reported her to police for “a breach of trust and other related allegations”.

Min Heejin hosted a press conference on April 25th. 

On May 22, BELIFT LABS, the label subsidiary home to ILLIT, the group Min had claimed was copying NewJeans’ concept and styling, announced in a statement shared on X that it was filing a lawsuit for defamation. Following a court ruling determining that HYBE’s “evidence and rationale were not sufficient to back the company’s case for Min’s dismissal,” she hosted a second press conference to address her remaining as CEO of ADOR.

BELIFT LABS filed a further civil lawsuit addressing the alleged slander and defamation of its artists on the 11th of June. Further legal action ensued as subsidiary label Source Music, home to girl group LE SSERAFIM, filed another lawsuit against Min, citing defamation and disruption of business following her press conference. 

After months of excruciating back and forth, ADOR officially announced on August 27 that Min would be stepping down as CEO. It was initially stated that Min would remain at ADOR as NewJeans’ producer, however, she quickly confirmed that she had rejected HYBE’s offer of the position. Min was replaced as CEO of ADOR by Kim Ju-young, who currently holds the position.

Amid this legal and political chaos, it is important to remember that there are very real, very young girls who have been caught in the crossfire. The members of NewJeans, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, who are aged between just 20 and 16, have been completely decimated by the feud, leaving their careers, and even personal safety, in jeopardy. 

Min Heejin has been a controversial figure since NewJeans’ debut. Questions arose with the release of track “Cookie” in 2022 pertaining to the song’s inappropriateness for a group composed almost entirely of minors, with many suggesting the lyrics were overly sexual. Even from her past work in labels such as SM Entertainment, Min has been accused of sexualising minors in the groups she oversees, which has increased concerns over NewJeans’ treatment. 

These past issues have given rise to allegations over the possibility of Min manipulating the members of NewJeans, which have heightened with reports of the members’ actions during the feud with HYBE. Min has exposed multiple instances of the members showing their support, including disclosing details of a private phone call with Haerin and posting a handwritten letter by Danielle. She also claimed that on other occasions the members had reached out, or even asked to visit her home.

The NewJeans members also opened up publicly about their support for Min, sharing posts on fan app Phoning. Minji’s message read “it’s been almost a week since I wanted to share with you all the things that have been happening, but I couldn’t…I feel so sorry that we’re going through unnecessary hardships when we could be spending our time sharing only good stories. I feel so frustrated that I can’t resolve anything.” Danielle said “Honestly, since CEO Min Hee Jin was dismissed, it has been very tough, and I’ve had a lot on my mind. I was in a bit of a state of shock for a while and felt very anxious.”

In an unprecedented move, following the announcement of Min Heejin’s resignation, the members of NewJeans took matters into their own hands, hosting a YouTube live titled “What NewJeans Wanted To Say” on a private channel to disclose their side of the story. During the live stream, which lasted around 30 minutes and has since been removed, the girls exposed their treatment by HYBE following the removal of CEO Min Heejin, and demanded she be reinstated before September 25th. 

“CEO Min Hee-jin is not only the person that produces our music, but someone who makes NewJeans who we are,” Danielle said in the livestream. “NewJeans has a distinct colour and tone, and this was created with CEO Min Hee-jin.”

The members also claimed that they were being purposefully isolated and ostracized by HYBE, with Hanni stating a manager of an unidentified group had instructed them to “ignore her” when they crossed paths at the HYBE building. 

The stream concluded with the group’s ultimatum, with eldest Minji stating “we hope chairman Bang and HYBE make a wise decision to restore ADOR to its original state by the 25th (of September).” With this deadline recently expired, HYBE and subsidiary ADOR have rejected NewJeans’ request, leaving the group’s future in a state of immense uncertainty. 

NewJeans members host an emergency livestream exposing their mistreatment and calling for Min Heejin’s reinstatement.

Responses to NewJeans’ livestream have been varied. Some praised the girls for their bravery and speaking out about their mistreatment, especially against a company as powerful as HYBE. Some criticized them for making unreasonable demands. Some believed Min Heejin had manipulated the girls to such an extent that they truly believed she was the reason for their massive success, and that without her they would lose popularity. 

Even BTS member Jungkook seems to have expressed his concern over the situation, captioning a recent Instagram post “Artists are not guilty” followed by coloured hearts in an order regularly used to represent the NewJeans’ members. While not explicitly taking sides, the post acts as a clear reminder that NewJeans, and artists in general, must be considered first and foremost in situations such as this. 

Others, such as myself, simply have no idea what to believe. This situation is so unlike anything that has been seen in the K-pop industry, and in the music world more broadly. Yes, it may be true that Min Heejin is manipulating and brainwashing her artists. It may also be true that HYBE is purposefully isolating and mistreating NewJeans. But what is evident is that NewJeans, a group of incredibly young women and girls, are being harmed by the conflict between Min and HYBE. No matter what hidden circumstances may be at play, these girls legitimately feel as if not only their careers but their physical safety is at stake. 

As NewJeans’ ultimatum has been rejected by HYBE, there is no doubt that this conflict will continue to escalate. As the members’ future remains in jeopardy, it is important to remember that, no matter what happens, these are human beings - and young girls, at that - whose lives are being held in the balance, for the entire world to see. 

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Emma Peters is a third-year student at UNSW, currently completing a Bachelor of Media, majoring in Journalism. She is extremely passionate about all things related to pop culture and music, especially K-pop. You can most likely find her singing her heart out at a concert, or otherwise crying her eyes out while looking through concert videos. 

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