Kakao hails founder's acquittal from stock manipulation charges

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Basically, HYBE’s accusation that Kakao manipulated SM’s stock price to block its takeover was dismissed by the court as unproven. The judge found no deliberate interference with HYBE’s tender offer and condemned the investigation for “distorting the truth.”

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What does this all mean?

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The court’s ruling exposes HYBE’s alignment with prosecutorial overreach. The judges went out of their way to rebuke the prosecution, stating that the investigation “distorted the truth” and relied on false testimony extracted under pressure. The prosecution’s aggressive stance in this case eerily echoed HYBE’s own accusations at the time. They mirrored HYBE’s talking points about Kakao’s alleged stock manipulation almost word for word. The judge’s statement essentially implies that the entire investigation was built on a flawed or biased premise, one likely influenced by HYBE’s framing. This indirectly raises serious questions about HYBE’s ethical influence on market regulators and the justice system, suggesting that the company may have leveraged its elite connections to weaponize legal institutions against its rivals.

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This ruling also reinforces the perception of HYBE as a corporate aggressor. Public opinion during the SM takeover battle was already critical of HYBE’s hostile tactics, from attempting to absorb SM to replacing its leadership and centralizing creative control. The court’s decision vindicates Kakao and SM’s resistance as a legitimate defense, not “manipulation.” It paints HYBE not as a visionary conglomerate, but as a monopolistic force willing to use both media play and legal pressure to suppress competition. This deeply damages HYBE’s long-term credibility as a “fair player” in the K-pop industry, especially as it faces growing scrutiny and similar accusations of monopolistic behavior in the ADOR–NewJeans conflict.

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Finally, the verdict weakens HYBE’s moral authority in its ongoing disputes. The company’s current battles, like the one against Min Hee-jin and NewJeans, often hinge on portraying itself as a victim of betrayal or misconduct. But this ruling serves as a stark reminder that HYBE has a pattern of exaggerating accusations and bending narratives to maintain control. It lends weight to critics who argue that HYBE manipulates both media and institutions to preserve its dominance, ultimately undermining its credibility in every conflict it engages in whether it's in the present or in the future.

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This ruling doesn’t just exonerate Kakao... it exposes HYBE’s pattern of narrative control, legal opportunism, and monopolistic behavior.

source: https://n.news.naver.com/article/001/0015691289?sid=102

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The court added: “Lee applied for leniency through the self-reporting system (leniency program) after giving testimony consistent with the prosecution’s case and was thus not indicted in this case. His motive and reason for giving false testimony are clear — he wanted to avoid prosecution.” In an unusually strong rebuke, the court went on to criticize the prosecution after announcing the verdict: “If not for Lee’s false testimony, the defendants would not even be standing here — some wouldn’t have been arrested at all. This false testimony is what brought us to this outcome.”

*error

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the verdict weakens HYBE’s moral authority in its ongoing disputes.

This looks like it was written by delulu bunny.

- The plaintiff in the case against Newjeans is Ador, who, by law, is a separate entity to Hybe.

- The cases are all about contract and legal authority and nothing "moral".

- The one formally judged for immoral behavior is Min Heejin herself (workplace harassment).

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- The one formally judged for immoral behavior is Min Heejin herself (workplace harassment).

as if badmouthing a lying snake in your privates messages was anything immoral lol sftu

mhj had a partial victory in that lawsuit and she appealed to get a total one.

now flasely accusing someone of SH is highly immoral and can get you in some SERIOUS trouble by the korean law.

very convenient for that snake that the same employe who was falsly accused (which made mhj rightfully angry at employee b after it was established) has been promoted within hybe and appears to be another hybe lapdog mole.

they were both playing some dirty games to get mhj framed in a way or another.

hope mhj puts that liar in her place.

and yes that kakao win will disserve hybe because they lost all remaining credibility they had left!