The members of NewJeans (from left) Haerin, Hanni, Hyein, Danielle and Minji during their surprise YouTube live stream on Sept 11. - Screengrab from YouTube
SEOUL: K-pop group NewJeans has issued an ultimatum to K-pop entertainment conglomerate Hybe, demanding the reinstatement of Ador CEO Min Hee-jin by Sept 25.
The request by the group's members, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein was announced during a livestream over YouTube on Wednesday (Sept 11) evening. But the post about it was subsequently deleted from X, formerly Twitter.
“What we want is for Ador to be restored to its original state with Min Hee-jin as the CEO, where management and production are integrated. Restore Ador to its original state by Sept 25,” stated Minji.
Industry sources suggest that the deadline indicates the group may be considering terminating its exclusive contract with Hybe, as it is highly unlikely that Hybe will reinstate Min as CEO of subsidiary Ador, given the ongoing dispute between the two over Ador’s management.
In the entertainment industry, it is common for artists to request changes from their agencies, and if these requests are not met within a specified period, they may seek an injunction to suspend their exclusive contracts.
NewJeans, however, has not specified what action it will take if its demands are not met.
The group has consistently publicly supported Min, even after her removal as CEO of Ador on Aug 27. Should NewJeans decide to leave its agency, Ador would be left without any artists and would lose a group that generated 110.3 billion won (US$848 million) in revenue last year.
Meanwhile, a fan of NewJeans has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labour, requesting an investigation into alleged bullying of NewJeans members by Hybe staff.
During their livestream, Hanni of NewJeans shared that they felt ignored and mistreated by Hybe employees.
“One day, I was in the hallway by myself, and another group passed by with its manager. I said hello, but the manager told the group's members, ‘Ignore her,’ so I could hear it. I don’t understand why I had to go through that,” Hanni said.
So far, neither Hybe nor Ador has issued a statement regarding the allegations made by NewJeans members. - The Korea Herald/ANN
