NewJeans members speak up on HYBE-Min Hee-jin conflict: ‘We are just working hard for our dreams. Did we do something wrong?’

On the evening of Wednesday (Sep 11), the members of K-pop girl group NewJeans weighed in on the ongoing conflict between parent company HYBE and former label CEO Min Hee-jin.
The conflict, which sparked from HYBE accusing Min of breach of trust and Min claiming NewJeans was plagiarised, escalated in recent weeks following Min’s removal as the CEO of NewJeans’ agency ADOR on Aug 27.
Moreover, HYBE and the new management of ADOR are currently in a public disagreement with director Shin Woo-seok, who directed multiple music videos for NewJeans, over claims of forced deletion of NewJeans’ content.
Appearing in a livestream video on a newly-created YouTube account which was later deleted, NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein, expressed their support for Min Hee-jin and spoke up against HYBE and new ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young – highlighting several instances where the group’s concerns were unaddressed.
Hyein, 16, said that the livestream was made because the ongoing situation “directly affected the lives” of NewJeans and that they felt that it would be healthier to speak up for themselves, rather than to do nothing.
“It’s been hard to see many people who have worked with us continue to suffer from unfair demands and pressure even after [Min Hee-jin] was dismissed. It was frustrating to just stand by and watch these situations unfold, and we were very worried about our future as a group of five,” she said.
Hyein also clarified that the livestream was made out of the group’s own volition and that Min did not instruct them to create it. 
“It didn’t feel right for us to stay quiet when everyone, including our Bunnies (NewJeans’ fandom), have been stepping up to support us. Moreover, this is not just a matter of leaving it to the adults because it directly affects the lives of us five.”
She added that the livestream was directed towards HYBE and that the group already had meetings with them to voice out their opinions and concerns.
“But after seeing what happened afterward, it feels like our concerns weren’t clearly conveyed. It seemed like communication was blocked, so we felt that preparing this livestream was the only way to properly share our thoughts and feelings.”
Speaking in a mix of Korean and English, Korean-Australian member Danielle, 19, spoke about wanting to continue to work with Min.
“With [Min Hee-jin], we were able to prepare each and every task with sincere hearts, and I believe it shows in our work.
“She discusses even the smallest details with us and explains them in ways that we can understand clearly. NewJeans has a distinct colour and tone, and this was created with [Min Hee-jin]. She is integral to NewJeans’ identity, and we all feel that she is irreplaceable.”
Haerin, 18, then proceeded to list out instances where they felt that HYBE did not resolve issues faced by NewJeans. These include a recent incident where videos of the group as trainees and private records, including medical information, were leaked to the public.
“It was hard to understand how our company, which is supposed to protect us, allowed such information to be leaked. This situation has made us worry that other strange information about us might spread in the future. Although we, our parents, and Min Hee-jin brought this up to HYBE, they haven’t resolved the issue, nor have they taken any proactive measures.”
Vietnamese-Australian member Hanni, 19, recounted an incident that happened at HYBE’s headquarters where she claimed that another HYBE group was told to “ignore her”.
“The fourth floor of the HYBE building is where we get our hair and makeup done, so a lot of other artistes and staff go there. One day, I was waiting alone in the hallway, and [another HYBE group] passed by.
“We greeted each other but when they came back out a bit later, I heard one of their managers say ‘Ignore her’ right in front of me. I could hear and see everything clearly. Even now, I still don’t understand why I had to go through that.”
According to Hanni, she raised this issue with the new ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young. However, Kim supposedly said that “there was no evidence” and that “it was too late” to do anything.
“Although the new management team says they’ll help, it’s just been months of excuses. They keep saying that it’s something they can’t resolve. But this is something that I personally went through and yet, they are trying to dismiss it as if it’s my fault. I’m worried and scared about what might happen in the future.”
The oldest member of NewJeans, Minji, 20, alluded to HYBE and ADOR’s conflict with Shin Woo-seok – expressing her scepticism at ADOR’s claims of not interfering with NewJeans’ production.
“If they truly had no intention [to do so], the issue with director Shin would not have happened…We didn’t want [Shin’s video] to be deleted.
“You keep making excuses about protecting us and alleviating our concerns but you’re not actually doing it…You need to show respect to [Min] and the directors we’ve worked with. What you’re doing now is definitely not ‘for [NewJeans]’.”
Danielle then added: “I truly can’t understand why anyone would do this to a group, or just anyone in general. We are just working hard for our dreams. Did we do something wrong?”
Towards the end of the 30-minute-long video, NewJeans requested that ADOR return to its original ways and management by Sep 25, adding that they “did not want special treatment” and that they wanted to do their best as well.
“What we want is the original ADOR, where CEO Min Hee-jin leads both management and production. The reason we’re making this request is because it’s a way to coexist peacefully without conflict with HYBE.”