On the afternoon of September 11, NewJeans unexpectedly created the YouTube channel “nwjns” and opened a livestream without the permission of their company. During the livestream, NewJeans members directly expressed their stance for the first time on the never-ending controversy between HYBE and Min Hee Jin.
After a period of intense confrontation with HYBE, Min Hee Jin was removed from the group’s ADOR CEO position at the end of August this year. This came as a shock to NewJeans. The girls continuously expressed their confusion and fear over the current situation. NewJeans’ livestream began with a heavy atmosphere, the girls wearing black outfits and putting on gloomy and depressed expressions. Despite the binding contract with HYBE, NewJeans claimed that Min Hee Jin was the one who created the group’s identity and could not be replaced.
During the live broadcast, NewJeans shared that she felt isolated in the new ADOR, with no superiors to trust. Hanni also expressed shock at being ignored by a HYBE staff member. The female idol hinted that a manager had asked other artists to ignore her. When she greeted another group, the group’s manager told them to “ignore her,” making Hanni feel hurt.
Furthermore, NewJeans expressed their stance of not trusting HYBE and unconditionally standing with Min Hee Jin despite the unforeseeable consequences.
At the end of the live broadcast, NewJeans directly mentioned Bang Si Hyuk’s name, asking HYBE to restore ADOR to its original state, “We want President Bang and HYBE to restore ADOR to its original state, with both management and production under Min Hee Jin by September 25th!” After the live broadcast, the YouTube channel “nwjns” was also deleted.
After NewJeans spoke arbitrarily during the livestream, the Kpop fan community has become concerned about the future of NewJeans. Officially declaring war on their agency will put NewJeans in danger. HYBE can completely freeze the group’s assets forever. If they want to leave the company, NewJeans will have to pay a huge compensation fee. Previously, many experts estimated that this amount was up to 200 billion won for all 5 members.
