The team behind Min Hee-jin, head of OOAK Records and a central figure in the ongoing legal battle with HYBE, has released an explanation following controversy over a “disconnected PR contact number” that emerged during recent court proceedings.
According to Sports Donga, the issue came to light after Min Hee-jin distributed several press releases during her November hearing at the Seoul Central District Court. In an attempt to verify the material, the outlet contacted the phone number listed as a PR representative, only to find that the number was no longer in service, raising questions about the legitimacy of the documents.
The next day, the individual identified as “OOAK Records PR Team”. [Name Withheld]” sent an explanatory email to the editorial team. The person apologized for the confusion, stating that the number change occurred after the press material was sent.
“After first contacting you during last week’s hearing via press release, the number was changed. I did not have time to notify you immediately due to the circumstances.” the representative wrote.
When contacted via a new phone number, the PR staff member said the issue was due to switching from a personal phone to a business phone.
“I was using my personal phone. When I switched to a work phone, the previous number was disconnected which caused confusion” the representative explained.
Interestingly, the last four digits of both the old and new numbers were identical. When asked, the representative simply replied: “We created the new number with the same last digits.”
Questions regarding the individual’s employment status also arose. During the November hearing, Min Hee-jin initially told the court that OOAK Records had no employees, but later corrected herself after the name of the public relations representative was mentioned.
The PR staffer clarified the situation: “I believe Min Hee-jin said she didn’t have any employees because my employment contract hadn’t been formally signed yet. That’s true, I signed up recently and we agreed that I would work with her.”
This is not the first time a phone number controversy involving Min Hee-jin’s circle has surfaced. In September, an individual using a number with the last four digits contacted reporters claiming to be Min’s “legal representative”, but refused to clarify his full identity. Investigations later revealed that the person was a lawyer from a national law firm.
With the confusion over PR numbers addressed, attention remains fixed on Min Hee-jin’s high-profile legal fight with HYBE, a dispute that continues to generate intense media scrutiny and industry speculation.
Sources: Sport Donga,Newsis
