NewJeans Crisis: HYBE vs. Min Hee-jin Standoff Halts Activities

The group NewJeans is facing its biggest crisis since debut.

The ultimatum to "reinstate former CEO Min Hee-jin" has fallen through, and HYBE and former CEO Min Hee-jin are engaged in a public dispute, both claiming their actions are in NewJeans' best interest. Meanwhile, NewJeans' activities have come to a halt. Korean fan meetings and album production have been postponed indefinitely. What decision will NewJeans ultimately make?

HYBE and ADOR held a board meeting on the 25th and proposed reappointing Min Hee-jin as an in-house director, offering a five-year production contract, which aligns with NewJeans’ remaining contract period. However, NewJeans' request to have Min reinstated as CEO was not accepted.

In response, Min Hee-jin stated, "Calling this a compromise is wordplay," and demanded her return to the CEO position for NewJeans to operate normally.

In a media interview, Min claimed that "HYBE told me, 'We'll pay you to leave,' but I refused because money isn't the issue." She emphasized that the core of the conflict is the company's public dismissal of a subsidiary president who challenged its authority. "NewJeans is a creation of my mind and heart. The fan meeting and album production were halted due to HYBE's interference."

HYBE has fired back, denying that they ever offered Min Hee-jin money to leave. They also refuted allegations that they spread defamatory materials through overseas PR agencies. According to HYBE, the postponement of the fan meeting and album production was due to Min's negligence and delays in decision-making. They urged her to stop spreading false information and return to her role as a producer.

Amid this turmoil, NewJeans members have shown signs of distress. Minji posted a message on the 25th saying, "I've had a lot on my mind lately. Seeing Bunnies (NewJeans' official fan club) always gives me strength. Please take care of yourselves and keep your thoughts positive. Bye," leaving fans with a cryptic farewell.

Furthermore, concerns have grown over the absence of Hanni from recent photos and videos posted on NewJeans' official account following ADOR's declaration that Min Hee-jin will not be returning as CEO.

Ultimately, NewJeans holds the key to the situation. As industry insiders speculate, all eyes are on whether HYBE will pursue legal action, such as applying for suspension of the group's exclusive contract, and whether NewJeans will return to Min Hee-jin’s leadership or continue their journey with HYBE.