HYBE launches investigation against subsidiary ADOR and CEO Min Hee Jin

In the early hours of this Monday, the 22nd, it was reported by the South Korean press that HYBE began an audit against its subsidiary company ADOR, known for being the home of NewJeansafter, supposedly, an attempt by the company to separate itself from the conglomerate.

As reported by Soompi, HYBE is responsible for 80% of ADOR, while the other 20% is under the name of Min Heejinfounder of the agency, and its management.

According to the South Korean portal Dispatch (via Koreaboo), Min Heejin has been trying to become independent from HYBE for a long time, and would have discussed the matter discreetly with people within the company, in addition to looking for ways to buy the conglomerate’s shares in ADOR.

The vehicle also accuses the businesswoman of having taken advantage of a HYBE employee to obtain confidential information. However, the organization would have gathered significant evidence about the attempt to Heejin and, therefore, called a meeting with shareholders to reveal the event, in addition to seeking to elect a new additional director, and request the resignation of Min Heejin of the position of CEO.

To the media, HYBE issued a brief note, stating that “It is true that an audit has been initiated”. On the other hand, Min Heejin also spoke out, where, in his statement, he says that the disagreement with HYBE would have started after alleged plagiarism by ILLIT, the new girl group from Belift Lab, which would have copied the NewJeans concept.

Check out the full statement:

“This is ADOR Co, Ltd (hereinafter referred to as ADOR and CEO Min Hee Jin).

In order to protect the artists of our agency, NewJeans, as well as for the healthy development of our country’s music and cultural industry, we will make our official statement on the issue of ‘ILLIT copying NewJeans’.

HYBE maintains a multi-label system, in order to allow each company to produce its own music independently, valuing cultural diversity. ADOR is one of those labels. But ironically, the cultural production achieved by ADOR and the artist from our company NewJeans was the most severely violated by HYBE.

One of HYBE’s labels, BeLift Lab, debuted ILLIT in March 2024, a 5-member girl group. After the ILLIT teaser photos were released, there was an explosive reaction online that people thought ‘it was NewJeans’. The hair, makeup, looks, choreography, photos, videos and even ILLIT events, etc., all of their celebrity activities have copied NewJeans. There were comments that ILLIT is ‘Min Hee Jin’s style’, ‘Min Hee Jin’s type’ and ‘NewJeans style’, etc.

HYBE’s Bang Si Hyuk participated in the production of ILLIT’s debut album. ILLIT’s copying of NewJeans was not only carried out by BeLift Lab as a brand, but it is something that also concerns HYBE. As a leading K-Pop company, HYBE has been blinded by profits and is copying successful cultural content without any hesitation. Instead of showing something new, they are simply producing banality.

NewJeans is currently gearing up for a comeback in May. But ILLIT evoked NewJeans during the period when they weren’t promoting. Thanks to the emergence of a similar type of group, the image of NewJeans was consumed and dragged into unnecessary debates, being used as a topic among fans and the public, worrying and tiring them. The people who made this happen, HYBE and BeLift Lab, are profiting from it, but the ones who are suffering damage are ADOR and NewJeans.

There has been opinion that since we are both HYBE labels, the similarities between NewJeans and ILLIT are reasonable. What’s more, there were also reactions where they felt that ADOR and NewJeans were okay with copying. I’m setting the record straight as these reactions are absolute misunderstandings. Under a multi-label structure, each label can produce the music it wants independently, and just because you’re under the same umbrella doesn’t give you the right to copy another label’s cultural output.

And ADOR has never allowed anyone, whether HYBE, BeLift Lab or anyone else, to copy NewJeans production. ADOR does not want ILLIT and NewJeans to be linked in any way. We have no intention of allowing anyone to promote themselves using the title of ‘who and who is dongsaeng group’, just because they debuted under the HYBE umbrella.

ADOR expressed its objections to HYBE regarding BeLift Lab’s copying of NewJeans, as well as the successive issues related to HYBE’s treatment of NewJeans. But HYBE didn’t recognize BeLift Lab’s mistake, it was busy making excuses and stalling for time while postponing the response.

Then today, April 22, 2024, HYBE revealed that it is planning to take steps to fire CEO Min Hee Jin, sparking concerns that HYBE is planning to destroy ADOR’s value. At the same time, HYBE is trying to use the media to tarnish Min Hee Jin’s name with ridiculous allegations of attempted robbery of HYBE. How could protecting NewJeans’ cultural achievements mean hurting ADOR’s bottom line and mean that Min Hee Jin is trying to steal ADOR’s executive rights? It seems there is another reason that is difficult to understand.

HYBE and BeLift Lab have not apologized for this incident. Instead, it seems they believe all of this will disappear if Min Hee Jin is kicked out of ADOR. ADOR will exhaust all legal options to protect NewJeans’ cultural achievements and to protect the group from further plagiarism.

There is a chance that HYBE and BeLift Lab will bring together the differences between ILLIT and NewJeans and magnify them before their debut to bury this incident. As time passes, there is a chance that misunderstanding among fans and the public will increase. Because of this, ADOR released this statement after discussing it with our attorneys and NewJeans. We hope that through this, HYBE and BeLift Lab will acknowledge their mistakes, respect the cultural achievements of others, and (instead of plagiarizing) contribute to our country’s entertainment industry through hard work and creativity.

Thanks”.

The case is still ongoing.