A written statement would have been sufficient. But Min Hee-jin, CEO of ooak Records (former ADOR CEO), held a press conference where she did not take any questions and only delivered her prepared remarks before leaving.
On the afternoon of the 25th, Min Hee-jin held a press conference at a location in Jongno-gu saying she would directly announce the first-instance lawsuit outcome and future plans. However, the conference was not smooth from the start. She arrived about six minutes later than the scheduled time, and the opening statement ended after just six minutes.
She mounted the stage around 1:51 p.m., later than the scheduled 1:45 p.m., took a breath saying, "I walked over from the next building," and opened by saying, "You may have thought I would freestyle, but today is an important matter, so I will read and explain it."
Earlier, Min Hee-jin won the first-instance suit she filed against HYBE seeking payment from the exercise of a put option. The court ordered HYBE to pay former CEO Min approximately 25.5 billion won, and it dismissed HYBE's suit seeking confirmation of termination of the shareholder agreement.
On the day, Min said, "I have decided to exchange the 25.6 billion won I would receive as the price of winning for other values," and added, "Instead of taking this amount, I propose that all ongoing civil and criminal suits stop and that all disputes be concluded." She added that this offer included ending all lawsuits and complaints not only against herself but also against NewJeans members, outside partner companies, former ADOR employees, and the fandom.
She cited NewJeans as the reason for such a decision. Min said, "Only when all these disputes end will the excessive noise toward the artists, their families and the fandom disappear," and emphasized, "I can no longer watch a reality in which five members who should be on stage have some on stage and some in court."
She continued, "With hearts torn like this, you can never create a good culture," and said, "There are values to me that are more important than money. Now I want to show the world that there are values more precious than money." She also said, "Please create an environment where NewJeans members can freely pursue their dreams," and added, "The only role adults should play is to open the path for the artists to shine again."
But that was the end of the announcement. As soon as Min Hee-jin finished her statement, she stood up and left. It was markedly different from the first and second press conferences, when she answered questions for hours and actively communicated. Eventually, the reporters' dissatisfaction erupted, and Kim Sun-woong, a lawyer from the law firm Jiam representing the lawsuit, went onstage and said, "Please send your questions by email," to wrap up.
Disappointment was great because reporters expected Min Hee-jin to communicate actively as she did at the first and second press conferences. A press conference is supposed to be a meeting to exchange thoughts and opinions, but Min Hee-jin's event was nothing more than a one-sided announcement rather than a press conference.
[OSEN]