She showed a tendency to place legal responsibility on external parties and family members.
This incident raises concerns regarding trust between artists and management.
On January 28, former Adore CEO Min Hee-jin held a press conference denying the 'NewJeans tampering allegations' surrounding her. The conference took place at the Kyowon Jonggak Building in Jongno, Seoul, where her legal representative, Kim Sun-woong, detailed that Min was faced with a 10 billion KRW lawsuit from Adore. He argued that the conflict with HYBE originated from differences in management perspectives but that NewJeans' contract issues had never been discussed prior to her dismissal. Subsequently, the members’ notification of contract termination due to management violations caused a drastic change in the situation.
Regarding the core accusations related to Daborlink, Min's representatives stated they had no prior knowledge of it, even sharing a recording of her surprise at the name during a meeting with HYBE's Lee Jae-sang. Nevertheless, Min admitted to having met with the owner of Daborlink, introduced through a NewJeans member's family, stating that she recorded their discussions due to distrust.
Throughout the conference, Min's side repeatedly denied any involvement with tampering allegations while shifting blame onto third parties. It is essential to note that the concerns raised by HYBE and Adore are not merely about investment talks but rather the interactions during an ongoing contract dispute. Although asserting that there was no intent to extract NewJeans, the rationale behind the repetitive engagements remains inadequately addressed.
This press conference offered a crucial opportunity to hear from Min Hee-jin. However, her outright denial of responsibility for repeated interactions with outsiders appears to overlook the gravity of the situation. The tampering allegations extend beyond mere contract termination issues; they encompass trust problems between the artist and their families, capturing the attention of fans and the industry alike.
Min's tendency to shift all blame onto external parties could be seen as a strategy to secure a favorable position in potential legal disputes. However, it is evident that the responsibility of managing artists lies with the CEO. This could significantly damage future trust with fans and entail obstacles to the artists' bright prospects.
Ultimately, this incident highlights the complexities of management disputes within the music industry. As controversies surrounding popular artists like NewJeans arise, it’s a reminder of how much executive decisions can impact the futures of both artists and their fanbases. When the trust between artists and management falters, it can detrimentally affect the credibility of the entire industry.
This article is KOSTAR’s reinterpretation of a story originally reported by TVDaily.
Photo: DB
