NewJeans members' parents accuse HYBE of 'mistreating,' 'exploiting' K-pop group
The ongoing conflict between entertainment companies HYBE and ADOR has taken a new turn. Parents of the members of the K-pop girl group, NewJeans (managed by ADOR), have accused HYBE—the label that owns an 80% stake in ADOR—of exploitation and mistreatment. This accusation was made public through an email sent to ADOR's current CEO Min Hee-jin and later forwarded to BE:LIFT LAB, a joint venture between JCM and Big Hit Entertainment.
HYBE accused of copying NewJeans's concepts for ILLIT
The email from the parents accused HYBE of copying NewJeans's concepts for their new girl group, ILLIT. This includes elements such as photography, styling, choreography, and music video aesthetics. "Is there no intention to protect NewJeans and each member's brand value within HYBE?" the parents questioned in their email. They highlighted several instances where ILLIT's concepts bore a striking resemblance to those of NewJeans. To note, Korean media outlet Ilgan Sports brought the allegations to light on Monday.
HYBE chairperson Bang Si-hyuk 'pretended' not to recognize members
Further, the parents detailed their concerns about the alleged mistreatment by HYBE officials, particularly Chairperson Bang Si-hyuk. Accusing Bang of ignoring the members, their parents stated, "Whenever the NewJeans members encountered Bang in the company building, we wondered why he would pretend not to recognize them and turn a blind eye to their greetings." "At first, we didn't believe our children, thinking, 'Oh, he probably just didn't recognize you,' so we attempted to verify this," read part of the email.
'Broken promise, endless waiting are unforgettable nightmares...'
The parents went on to mention that the treatment of NewJeans members has been marred by incomprehensible actions. Initially signed as SOURCE MUSIC trainees with the promise of becoming HYBE's first girl group, they were left in the dark as the project stalled, the email mentioned. Meanwhile, news emerged of other groups signing contracts and eventually debuting. "The broken promise of NewJeans being the first girl group under HYBE and the endless waiting...are unforgettable nightmares."
Meanwhile, HYBE has apparently finalized ADOR CEO's replacement
"With heavy hearts, we officially request that ADOR's CEO Min—who is in charge of NewJeans's management contracts—to take measures to block the infringement activities against NewJeans by HYBE / BELIFT LAB and to protect their brand value," the parents requested. Meanwhile, per the most recent update, HYBE has purportedly named a new CEO to succeed Min. There's widespread speculation that she may be compelled to step down in an upcoming shareholders' meeting.
