Former ADOR chief Min Hee-jin said on the 4th that HYBE should be extremely apologetic to NewJeans.
According to the entertainment industry and others, Min appeared that day on the YouTube channel "Genre Only Yeouido" and, when asked, "You may feel sorry for NewJeans, and you may feel regret. What is the emotion?" said, "I am angry and saddened at why they are letting the situation get this far," making the remarks.
Min said, "It is very strange to split (the NewJeans members) into two and three," adding, "In court they said, 'If you just come back, we will treat you well,' but I do not understand why they are acting as if they are ostracizing three members separately."
On the 12th of last month, ADOR said that members Haerin and Hye-in, after consultation, had decided to return to HYBE. Two hours and about 40 minutes later, Min-ji, Hanni and Danielle, through a law firm, said, "As ADOR did not respond, we were inevitably informing our position separately," and expressed their intention to return to their agency.
When the host asked, "Is it that the two (Haerin and Hye-in) and the three (Min-ji, Hanni and Danielle) think differently?" Min said, "No," adding, "It was delivered on the same date with only a time gap. It says in the statement that (the three) contacted ADOR."
Min went on, "I do not know why they are trying to split things while saying they should support the young kids. Even if two members expressed their intention to return first, if it were me, I would have waited. That way the fandom is not confused. Why ramp up the confusion?" and added, "If the three said they would come back, you should accept it. Why doubt it and question their true intentions?"
The host asked, "You see HYBE as largely responsible for things getting to this point?" and Min answered, "From my standpoint, it is 100% HYBE's responsibility."
Min also flatly denied the allegations of a management rights grab and NewJeans tampering, saying, "HYBE made me into a witch."
Regarding the lawsuit demanding payment for a stock sale under the exercise of a put option filed against HYBE, Min stressed, "I have, in fact, earned no money. Other than salary and incentives, I have received nothing. I have received nothing related to the put option and the case is ongoing now."
She also voiced frustration over the controversy about NewJeans tampering. Tampering refers to secretly referencing or taking another agency or artist's concept or universe.
Min argued, "The premise and the content do not match. 'Tampering' is not even a legal term, and if this were actually a problem, they should have raised it before I held a press conference. They put a frame on me as a management rights usurper and then brought out the tampering issue."