sabiz

Amidst various allegations, Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR, has chosen to remain silent, while NewJeans is facing a crisis with its reckless actions following the unilateral termination of their contract.

Min Hee-jin is in a particularly difficult situation, with lawsuits from Belift Lab and Source Music, both under HYBE, claiming damages of 2 billion won and 500 million won respectively, with the first hearings starting on January 10. These lawsuits are accompanied by additional allegations, leading to a tense legal battle.

Belift Lab and Source Music are reportedly in conflict over issues such as whether NewJeans's concept was plagiarized from "I-LAND" and who was responsible for casting the members of NewJeans. The trial, focusing on different points of contention, is expected to drag on for an extended period. Moreover, Min Hee-jin has also filed a defamation lawsuit against Belift Lab CEO Kim Tae-ho and claimed 5 billion won in damages.

Another issue has emerged regarding Min Hee-jin's involvement in a claim made by a former ADOR executive to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on January 13. The former executive, a close associate of Min, had been accused of workplace harassment and sexual harassment by a former ADOR employee. It is alleged that Min Hee-jin encouraged this individual to report the harassment to the Ministry, although the case was closed due to a lack of evidence. The former employee has since filed a 100 million won lawsuit against Min Hee-jin for damages.

Additionally, the CEO of DABOLINK, Park Jung-gyu, revealed that Min Hee-jin discussed a potential 5 billion won investment with NewJeans's uncle during her time at ADOR. During these talks, Min reportedly asked, "Can I bring NewJeans on board?" This contradicts Min's previous statements, where she had consistently denied any external investment or tampering with NewJeans.

Meanwhile, NewJeans also finds itself in a precarious situation. While they have emphasized that no prior discussions took place regarding their separation from ADOR, they have repeatedly criticized ADOR's failure to honor their contract and unilaterally terminated their agreement. Interestingly, despite this, NewJeans continues to use ADOR's resources for their activities, with examples such as Hanni's visa issues.

NewJeans's unilateral contract termination has not been legally recognized yet, which limits their ability to act independently. ADOR has filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the contract, and recently, they applied for a provisional injunction to restrict NewJeans's independent activities, including the signing of advertising contracts.

ADOR's application for this injunction is based on their clear stance of wanting to continue working with NewJeans. They argue that if confusion in the market and industry continues due to NewJeans's independent actions, the brand value of NewJeans, their only artist, will inevitably decrease, which could lead ADOR into a management crisis. ADOR also mentioned that they have already planned activities for NewJeans, including a regular album release and fan meetings.

Although NewJeans has expressed its intention to part ways with ADOR, their activities are effectively constrained until the court ruling is made. Public opinion is sympathetic towards NewJeans's situation but critical of their irresponsible unilateral contract termination. The focus now shifts to how NewJeans will find a solution to this crisis.