On January 28, Min Hee-jin’s legal representative, lawyer Kim Sun-woong of Ziam Law Firm, held a press conference at a location in Jongno, Seoul. Min Hee-jin did not attend the press conference. Lawyer Kim Sun-woong explained that his absence was due to psychological shock caused by sensitive matters involving the families of NewJeans members, saying he was in no condition to speak publicly.
During the press conference, Kim Sun-woong revealed that Min Hee-jin was sued for KRW 10 billion in damages on December 30, 2025, accused of tampering with NewJeans leaders and inducing termination of contracts. He explained that Min had remained silent because she believed that the problems with HYBE and ADOR were already resolved and that NewJeans were preparing to return. However, she was forced to respond after ADOR pursued termination only against Danielle, raising fears of a de facto dissolution and dragging members’ families into legal disputes.
Kim stressed that the tampering allegations came not from Min Hee-jin but from a structure involving a family member of a NewJeans member and corporate figures allegedly linked to stock market manipulation, which he said HYBE executives already knew about. He reiterated that the April 2024 conflict with HYBE was about corporate governance, not NewJeans contracts, and denied Davolink Chairman Park Jung-gyu’s claims, arguing that media framing turned a shareholder dispute into a “NewJeans poaching” narrative, despite Min’s efforts to resolve by even giving up his put option to allow the group’s return.
According to the presented timeline, the negotiation channels were formed between June and July 2024 through presentations from members’ families. After Min Hee-jin was fired as CEO of ADOR in August 2024, the same family member resurfaced, proposing negotiations with HYBE. During this process, connections with Park Jung-gyu were established, accompanied by messages and appeals implying political influence and external pressure. Kim Sun-woong described these communications as a planned performance intended to deceive Min Hee-jin and create an illusion of influence.
He added that Min Hee-jin, distrustful of this structure, met directly with HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang on September 28, 2024. During that meeting, she reportedly heard the names Terra Science and Davolink for the first time, a claim supported by an audio recording released during the press conference. According to Min Hee-jin’s side, Lee Jae-sang warned her not to meet those people.
However, the next day, the NewJeans member’s uncle and Park Jung-gyu reportedly became closer again, continuing to refer to international events, pressure on HYBE President Bang Si-hyuk, and proposed settlement structures. Min Hee-jin’s legal team said it later recognized the possibility that Terra Science and Davolink were linked to stock price manipulation schemes and that both she and NewJeans had been used as themed titles. Then he cut off all contact.
They further argued that rumors about Davolink, share price fluctuations and changes in board composition indicated a broader attempt to use Min Hee-jin and NewJeans within a speculative market narrative, naming HYBE as the group that benefited most from the resulting situation. The legal team further alleged that HYBE executives and major shareholders were aware in advance that Min Hee-jin would inevitably meet Park Jung-gyu on September 30, 2024, raising suspicions that the information was selectively leaked to the media and subsequently used to consolidate the tampering structure against her.
Lawyer Kim Sun-woong said his suspicions deepened after hearing from parents of NewJeans members that HYBE CEO Lee Jae-sang had asked them to provide favorable testimony regarding tampering during a recent lawsuit over a shareholders’ agreement. As supporting evidence, Kim Sun-woong revealed a message allegedly sent by the mother of a NewJeans member, which read: I heard something shocking today. Lee Jae-sang’s side asked me to ask my older brother to say that Min Hee-jin tampered.
With the disclosure of alleged text messages, audio recordings and internal timelines, Min Hee-jin’s legal team has intensified its claims that the NewJeans tampering controversy was shaped through external pressure and narrative framing rather than by her actions. As lawsuits involving Min Hee-jin, HYBE, ADOR and NewJeans members and their families continue, the newly revealed messages are expected to further fuel the debate over corporate influence, family involvement and the boundaries of label governance within the K-pop industry.
Sources: Nate News
