A relative of a NewJeans member reportedly attempted to draw former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin into a stock market manipulation scheme by fabricating tampering allegations, Min’s legal team claimed on Wednesday.

The legal team's claim comes in the wake of the label's damages suit — worth 1 billion won ($700,000) — filed against Min in December of last year for "bearing significant responsibility for the departure of NewJeans members and the delay in their return." The suit was also filed against Danielle and her family member, bringing the total compensation sought to 43.1 billion won.


It was not Min but the relative, a man surnamed Lee who was identified as the paternal uncle of an unnamed NewJeans member, who first suggested removing NewJeans from ADOR, according to the ex-CEO's lawyer.

While reiterating that Min did not attempt to poach NewJeans from the agency, her legal team also raised questions about the extent to which HYBE and ADOR may have been aware of Lee’s alleged scheme in advance, but stopped short of directly accusing HYBE of involvement in the alleged manipulation.

During a surprise press conference in Jongno District, central Seoul, attorney Kim Sun-woong of law firm Ji-Am presented text message exchanges and audio recordings involving Min and Lee alleging that the member's relative, along with Park Jung-kyu — the owner of a company called Davolink who claimed that he discussed a potential investment deal with Min — sought to exploit both Min and NewJeans to reap unfair financial gains through stock price manipulation.

“Despite Min being in a difficult situation, we decided to speak out today out of concern regarding ongoing issues including NewJeans's inability to remain whole,” said Kim. “We have also recently realized the truth about those who planned stock market manipulation schemes. We will pursue legal action, including reporting the allegations to authorities for violations of the Capital Markets Act.”

The central issue addressed on Wednesday centers on claims that Min attempted to compel the girl group members to leave ADOR, a move that could constitute "tampering," defined in the industry as negotiating with a different agency while still under contract. The allegation lies at the heart of the dispute over whether Min attempted to wrest control of ADOR and NewJeans from HYBE.

Media reports from Dispatch in December 2024 and Tenasia in January 2024 alleged that Min had conversations with the Davolink owner regarding a potential deal, which was interpreted as a possible pathway for NewJeans to separate from ADOR.

Kim denied those claims, saying that Min was introduced to Park through Lee and met him in person only once, in September 2024, after which she found the pair suspicious and severed contact shortly afterward.

According to Kim, Lee and Park falsely implied they had ties to Min in order to inflate Davolink’s stock price, a tactic the company had employed multiple times before and after Min’s involvement.

Lee, the NewJeans member's relative, admitted in a phone call recording that it was he, not Min, who suggested NewJeans leave ADOR, a suggestion that Min rejected, Kim claimed. When asked why he didn’t clarify publicly that Min was not responsible for the alleged tampering, Lee responded, “It was not that big a deal.”

Min supposedly fainted due to emotional distress after hearing the remark, according to investigative journalist Seong Sang-young of The Gate, who was engaged in the phone call with Lee.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]