Whether you like NewJeans (뉴진스) or not, if you’re a K-pop fan, you may already be familiar with the whole fiasco going on with former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin (민희진) and ADOR’s parent company, HYBE. The situation has since been hit by another news with Min Hee Jin formally announcing her departure from the company.
Earlier today (20th November 2024, Wednesday), the creative director announced her resignation as ADOR’s internal director, a role she held since being relieved of her position as the company’s CEO. Along with her resignation, the public figure said she would terminate her shareholder agreement with HYBE, which she has been working with since leaving her previous company, SM Entertainment.
Min Hee Jin also released a statement to address her decision to leave the company. In her statement, she said she decided to resign following the conflict she faced with her now-former company, HYBE. She also called the company out, saying the entertainment giant has committed multiple illegal actions, including breaching shareholder agreements and falsifying documents to frame her.
The art director said she would continue to take legal action towards HYBE. Min Hee Jin also expressed gratitude to NewJeans’ fan club, Bunnies, for their ongoing support for her as the founder of the K-pop sensation. She also asked for support in her new endeavours. Following her announcement, she shared a photo on her Instagram account depicting a rabbit character holding a resignation letter.
Many netizens and K-pop fans have since reacted to Min Hee Jin’s resignation – but the one question that looms over everyone’s head is the future of NewJeans. The quintet has openly voiced support for Min Hee Jin, even threatening to terminate their contract with ADOR if the company won’t reinstate the art director as CEO. However, Min Hee Jin has since unfollowed the girl group on social media after announcing her resignation.
As of now, it’s unknown whether NewJeans will follow in the footsteps of Min Hee Jin. However, if the members wish to terminate their exclusive contracts with ADOR and HYBE, they will have to pay a fee of at least KRW 300 billion (approximately RM1 billion), as per the terms stipulated by Korea’s Fair Trade Commission. In addition, as NewJeans is the only group under ADOR, the company might be at risk of shutting down if all the members leave.
Interestingly, many Bunnies remain optimistic about NewJeans’ future, suggesting that Min Hee Jin will continue working with the girls. What are your thoughts on this?
Sources: Koreaboo (1)(2), Soompi, Instagram, Allkpop
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