'I just see Hybe as an inhumane company': NewJeans stand up for their ex-CEO Min Hee-jin

After months of back and forth between South Korean record giant Hybe and Min Hee-jin - the former CEO of Hybe's subsidiary Ador - K-pop girl group NewJeans has stepped in to speak their piece.

The crossfire between the two labels first began in April when Hybe announced it would audit Ador and its executives and send a notice for then-CEO Hee-jin to resign.

The former alleged that Hee-jin was planning to take full control of Ador, leading to a series of disputes and legal battles.

Last night (Sept 11), members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein - who are managed by Ador - sat down to share their "thoughts and opinions over recent events".

The quintet spoke on the surprise YouTube livestream for 30 minutes, where youngest Hyein said it's been "frustrating to stand by and watch" everything unfold.

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According to her, the decision to speak up was made among the members, and Hee-jin, who is also the visionary behind the group, had not instructed them to do so.

"We did worry about how people would react to this livestream, but we were so much more worried about the future of the five of us," said the 16-year-old.

They expressed their concerns and asked for Hee-jin to be reinstated as CEO. She was removed from the position on Aug 27.

The girls also reportedly said Hybe has been mistreating them "in uncomfortable and scary ways that make no sense" and that Hee-jin protected them against "subtle bullying".

Danielle, 19, said Hee-jin is "irreplaceable" and "integral" to NewJeans' identity, adding that she hopes Hybe would stop harassing the 44-year-old: "Honestly, I pity her so much and I just see Hybe as an inhumane company."

Hanni recalled a recent incident that allegedly happened when she was in the Hybe building.

"I was waiting in the hallway and an artist and their manager passed me by. I was going to say hello to them but the manager told them to 'ignore her' right in front of me where I could see and hear everything. I really can't understand why I had to go through such a thing," said the 19-year-old.

The livestream was broadcasted on a channel named Nwjns which has since been shut down.

NewJeans' rise to fame has been a quick one since their 2022 debut with the hit single Attention, already having a number of accolades including the Top Global K-pop Artist at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.

This year, they entered the Japanese market with the songs Supernatural and Right Now.

syarifahsn@asiaone.com