This year may be coming to an end, but the conflict in the music industry continues with Min Hee-jin and NewJeans on one side and HYBE, Belift Lab and Source Music on the other.

It began on April 22 when HYBE announced that it had started an internal audit into its subsidiary ADOR’s executives, claiming that then-CEO Min Hee-jin had tried to seize control of the company by getting a third-party investor involved.


Min claimed that the audit was made in retaliation for pointing out HYBE copied NewJeans to make ILLIT and mistreated NewJeans members. She also claimed that Le Sserafim was the reason that NewJeans’ debut was pushed back, for which she got herself sued by the agencies of both ILLIT and Le Sserafim.

Min battled back and forth with HYBE but was eventually taken down as the CEO of ADOR on Aug. 27, which triggered NewJeans members to join the fight. The five singers showed indirect support for Min amid the turmoil, but made their official and public announcement on Sept. 11 demanding ADOR bring back Min as the CEO.

The legal situation became really complicated when Min said she would step down as a board member of ADOR and leave the company on Nov. 20. Min exercised her put option as per her contract with HYBE, which states that HYBE must buy Min’s ADOR shares, in a bid to break all ties with the ADOR parent company.

NewJeans also followed Min out of ADOR, with the group stating that the members’ exclusive contracts with the label ended on Nov. 28. ADOR on Dec. 3 requested the court to clarify whether NewJeans’ argument was sound.

As of December, Min has been charged with defamation by ILLIT agency Belift Lab and Source Music, as well as breach of trust by HYBE. Min in turn has reported HYBE’s former CEO, its PR executives and the entertainment outlet Dispatch for defamation. HYBE has also requested a court verify whether it would be legal to break off the shareholder contract with Min and not be obligated to buy Min’s shares of ADOR.

ADOR’s latest court request has added one more issue to the complex mix of legal fights, while the members of NewJeans seem to have started their own Instagram accounts separate from the official account managed by the agency.

ADOR still continues to issue press releases highlighting NewJeans’ achievements, as is the duty of a management company, and upload pictures of the singers’ activities as NewJeans, such as taking part in magazine interviews. Yet, NewJeans members announced a new “S T A R T” through their Instagram account on Sunday, even though other details were undisclosed.

So, here’s the summary. HYBE and its subsidiaries are going after Min, while Min is fighting back with her own team of lawyers. NewJeans wants — and claims that it already is — out of ADOR, while ADOR is going to court to prove that the members' contracts still stand.

April to May: HYBE versus Min Hee-jin

HYBE starting its internal audit into ADOR on April 22 signaled the beginning of the conflict, but it was Min's two emails to HYBE that she claims are the real issue that HYBE tried to cover up.

Min sent two emails in April, claiming that Belift Lab copied NewJeans' files to make ILLIT and that the company's unfair album sales practices and derogatory reports on other K-pop acts must be properly addressed.

Min held two press conferences, one on April 25, right after being blamed for breach of trust, and another after the court took her side in an junction case against HYBE's attempt to fire her as the CEO. During the conferences, she revealed that HYBE was coming after her for her emails and internal reports.

Min called a truce with HYBE for the sake of the artists on May 31, the day that HYBE fired all ADOR's former executives from the agency's board and replaced them with HYBE chiefs.

June to August: Min Hee-jin versus HYBE subsidiaries

The messy back-and-forth through press releases and news reports died down during the summer, while HYBE and its subsidiaries took matters to the justice system.

Belift Lab and Source Music reported Min to the police for defamation and sought compensation for the damage done to their artists due to Min's accusations. Min in turn reported five HYBE executives, including CEO Park Ji-won and chief PR officer Park Tae-hee, for defamation and for leaking her private conversations to the press.

ADOR removed Min as the CEO of ADOR and replaced her with Kim Ju-young, the chief HR officer of HYBE.

Meanwhile, NewJeans held its first meet and greet with fans at the Tokyo Dome. Members' parents held an interview with local media Sports World but members still kept quiet.

September to October: NewJeans joins the fight

It was on Sept. 11 that NewJeans officially joined the battle, thereby taking the conflict to a whole new level.

The five singers held a YouTube livestream, claiming ILLIT’s manager told a member of the group to “ignore” Hanni. They demanded ADOR bring back Min as the CEO, without detailing what the group's next steps would be.

Hanni's accusations resulted in her being summoned to the National Assembly, where she gave her testimony on HYBE's wrongful treatment of the members and ADOR's failure to protect them. ADOR CEO Kim, who also attended the same session, argued that ADOR "did everything it could" as NewJeans’ agency.

ADOR on Oct. 30 voted to give Min a three-year extended term on the company board but did not vote to reinstate her as CEO.

November to December: NewJeans versus ADOR

In the latest turn of events, NewJeans announced they had left ADOR on Nov. 28 after giving its two-week notice on Nov. 13.

ADOR filed a legal motion to the court requesting clarification over whether its exclusive contracts with NewJeans members still stand, but NewJeans reiterated its arguments in a press release, saying that their contracts are officially terminated.

NewJeans set up a new Instagram account on Dec. 14 and bought food for its fan club Bunnies and other people attending the rally in front of the National Assembly demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

A court hearing will take place on Jan. 10, mainly surrounding the defamation claims that Belift Lab and Min have filed against each other. A hearing on the Source Music versus Min case will also take place on the same day.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]