Amid Min Hee-jin's former ADOR representative's side disclosing allegations related to tampering at a press conference, what did she gain and lose?
Attorney Kim Seon-woong of the law firm Jiam, acting as Min Hee-jin's litigation representative, held an emergency press conference at a location in Jongno, Seoul, on the 28th and claimed, "The substance of the so-called 'NewJeans tampering' allegation, triggered by reports in December 2024 and January 2025, is a nationwide fraud staged by the family of one NewJeans member and a certain businessman who hatched a scheme to boost the stock price or manipulate the market of specific corporations, and it is unrelated to former representative Min Hee-jin."
According to Attorney Kim Seon-woong, around June 2024 former representative Min Hee-jin heard from the father of one NewJeans member a remark to the effect of 'my older brother has many connections, so if you entrust negotiations with HYBE to him he will do well,' and afterward a person referred to as the member's 'great uncle' came to the forefront of the negotiations. Min's side said that during this process certain corporation names began to be mentioned, and they released part of a recording in which Min said she had never heard of that corporation before.
Attorney Kim said, "There is one reason why former representative Min did not actively respond earlier to the false reports of 'NewJeans tampering' concocted by the collusion of one member's family and a certain businessman and is only now revealing the truth," and added, "to protect the NewJeans members and their families." He went on to say, "Former representative Min feared the negative image that could arise for the NewJeans members and the conflict and division among the members if it became known that one member's family colluded with a certain businessman to use NewJeans and former representative Min to boost a stock price and facilitate the sale of a specific corporation." One thing gained from this press conference, from her perspective, was that she publicly revealed the 'truth' she had been hiding.
But conversely, while he had claimed the title of 'NewJeans mom' and vowed to protect the members against huge capital, when a massive damages suit struck him he directed that anger at the member's family, and there is a reaction that the reputation the Min Hee-jin brand had built has collapsed.
First, the abandonment of the 'NewJeans mom' role is striking. The reason former representative Min, who said she was too shocked after hearing recent developments related to a member's family to attend the press conference, had received support was the sacrificial narrative that she cherished the members like her own children and served as a shield for them. Through that, even amid a war with HYBE she was able to elicit petitions and support from NewJeans members and their parents. However, at this press conference she directly pointed to a member's blood relative as the main perpetrator of the fraud and launched a new negative issue against NewJeans as they were attempting to start anew.
With the 'NewJeans mom' image collapsed, her credibility as a K-pop producer has also fallen. Former representative Min had built a singular position through successes at SM Entertainment and with NewJeans, but this NewJeans incident has created negative perceptions. In the producing field, where bonds with artists are crucial, the most basic trust has evaporated.
Also, former representative Min Hee-jin had been praised for her distinctive purity, nostalgia and naturalness, known as the 'Min Hee-jin sensibility.' But as huge lawsuits and a mudslinging revelation campaign have followed, keywords directly opposite to that sensibility have been attached to her. An image of a producer that interferes with the public's immersion can be a fatal flaw for a creator.
Although former representative Min Hee-jin had shaken public opinion and gained support through emergency press conferences in the past, analysis now overwhelmingly concludes that she lost more than she gained in this press conference. She may have found a pretext to lessen part of her legal responsibility, but the 'mom' who was dear within the relationship with the public, fandom and the artist NewJeans has disappeared, leaving only 'former representative Min Hee-jin' behind.
Meanwhile, ADOR said about former representative Min Hee-jin's press conference, "If there are claims, they can be addressed in court." ADOR has currently filed a damages lawsuit seeking about 43.1 billion won against Danielle and one member of Danielle's family and former representative Min Hee-jin.
[OSEN]