Japanese TV host Masahiro Nakai, who was a member of the former pop group SMAP, said Thursday he has retired from show business following alleged sexual misconduct that led broadcasters to suspend programs featuring him.
"As of today, I will retire from entertainment activities," Nakai, 52, said on his fan club website. "I am sorry for the inconvenience and losses I have caused to so many people."
The scandal has rocked Japan's entertainment industry, with one of the Tokyo-based broadcasters coming under fire for its alleged involvement in the matter and the lack of transparency in its explanation.
According to the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine, what was planned as a meal in June 2023 with employees of Fuji Television Network Inc. ended up with only Nakai and a woman present, leading to nonconsensual sexual activity and a 90 million yen ($575,000) out-of-court settlement.
Without specifically mentioning what happened, Nakai said he takes "full responsibility" and offered apologies to the woman.
He said talks on suspending TV programs and the cancellation of contracts with TV networks and sponsors had "all ended," leading to his announcement on Thursday.
"I will continue to deal with various issues sincerely and in good faith," he said. "I am really, really sorry for parting with you (fans) in this way."
A representative for Nakai declined to comment to Kyodo News about the details, saying, "What has been reported by weekly magazines has already been resolved and there is a nondisclosure agreement between the parties."
Nakai gained popularity as the leader of SMAP, a Japanese male idol group that performed for nearly three decades until it disbanded in 2016. SMAP, an acronym for Sports Music Assemble People, was also popular across Asia.
He regularly appeared on TV programs as a host before the sexual misconduct allegation surfaced late last year.
The scandal had broader repercussions due to Fuji TV's apparent lack of accountability, with many major Japanese companies, including Toyota Motor Corp., deciding to pull ads from the network.
He just completed his inauguration now
original post: here
1. I do hate Trump but you have to agree with what's right. It's true that there are only 2 genders, male and female
2. He did good for this
3. Even a broken clock can be rightㅋㅋㅋㅋ
4. This is the truth!
5. The only part where I can agree with him
6. The American education system will go back to how it was too
7. The fact that we now have to say something so obvious is..
8. I really like this
9. The Democratic Party was the one that screwed up women's rights
10. I also agreed with this
So pretty
original post: here
2. The babies would love it ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
3. Crazy the design is legendary
5. Ah it's so pretty, the fact that you can put the photocard horizontally is so tactful ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
6. Wow I want one too
7. Hul they're giving all the photocards like that, I need one
8. Hul I'll buy one for my choding dongsaeng
9. As an auntie DIVE, can I buy one? It's too cute
10. The babies will go crazy for this
"Actor-nim's IG story #Baek_story <3"
Is BPM insane?
original post: here
1. Wow what are they doing?
2. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why are they like that
3. This is so dumbfounding that I burst out laughing
4. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is entertaining
5. They're so disgustingly bad at managing their accounts ㅋㅋㅋㅋ They also got their Youtube channel wrong twice ㅎㅎㅎ
6. What the... Seriously they're so despicable
7. Is Baek story about Baekhyun?
> It's a musical actor
8. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
9. Wow how do you make a mistake like that???
10. Do they not have other phones for their accounts?
On Korean forum
TheQoo?
Display MoreAs I believe many people no longer check the megathread, I will post a thread because this is so messed up and deserve its own thread.
And thank goodness Nj had already moved out. The thing is, why did they even use a body camera instead of a regular one? Did they even know the girls had moved out is my biggest question here. And using a body camera is questionable if they only wanted to record the place for some real estate purposes. Because imagine if the girls were still there—what was hybe actually trying to do?
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Then, there are pictures of Njs' dorm that someone posted on DC Gallery at 3 AM with the title "Confession" on December 19, showing that it’s empty. Basically, a Hybe employee went to their dorm in the middle of the night and then uploaded the pictures on that incel community site.
If you ask me for the source, I have the link to the post, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to spread it further, even if the dorm is empty.
I did not find anything on Twitter.
How did you find it?
ADOR files for injunction to prohibit advertising contract with New Jeans, “No independent contracts” [Full official statement]
ADOR has filed an injunction against the members of New Jeans to preserve their status as a management company and prohibit them from signing advertising contracts.
According to ADOR on January 13, ADOR recently filed an injunction against the members of New Jeans to the Seoul Central District Court to 'preserve their status as a management company and prohibit them from signing advertising contracts.'
This injunction is a measure to have ADOR acknowledged as a management company (management company) according to the exclusive contract until the first trial verdict on the 'suit for confirmation of validity of exclusive contract' filed by ADOR with the Seoul Central District Court on December 3 of last year, and to prevent the members of New Jeans from independently signing advertising contracts and doing advertising activities without ADOR's approval or consent.
ADOR's side explained, "This decision was made to prevent confusion and damage to third parties, including advertisers, as the New Jeans members, who unilaterally declared the termination of their exclusive contracts, continued to attempt to independently contact advertisers and sign contracts."
They also stated, "This injunction application reflects ADOR's intention to be with the New Jeans members," and "It also reflects the judgment that even if the main verdict is made several years later that the exclusive contract is valid, it may already be impossible to restore it to its original state by then."
ADOR's side said, "ADOR has consistently supported all personnel and facilities for New Jeans' entertainment activities in accordance with its position that the exclusive contract with New Jeans is valid, and it plans to continue to do so in the future," and "ADOR is receiving external offers for various projects, such as advertisements and events, and internally, it has already completed planning this year's activity plans, including the release of a full-length album and fan meetings, so it has conveyed its intention to be able to communicate sufficiently with the New Jeans members."
[Here is the full text of ADOR’s statement.]
Last week, ADOR filed an injunction against the members of New Jeans to the Seoul Central District Court for a “provisional injunction to preserve the status of the agency and prohibit the conclusion of advertising contracts, etc.” The purpose of this injunction is to have ADOR acknowledge that it is a management company (agency) under its exclusive contract until the first trial verdict is announced in its “suit for confirmation of the validity of the exclusive contract” that it filed with the Seoul Central District Court on December 3 of last year, and to prevent the members of New Jeans from independently entering into advertising contracts and conducting advertising activities without ADOR’s approval or consent.
The reason ADOR filed this injunction is to prevent confusion and damage to third parties, such as advertisers, as the New Jeans members, who unilaterally declared the termination of their exclusive contracts, continued to independently contact and attempt to sign contracts with advertisers.
The unfairness of the members’ unilateral claim for the termination of their exclusive contracts will be confirmed through the suit for confirmation of the validity of the exclusive contract that ADOR previously filed. However, since it may take a considerable amount of time until the final ruling is made, we have inevitably filed an additional injunction to urgently prevent the current confusion.
This injunction application reflects ADOR's intention to stand with the members of New Jeans. If the confusion in the market and industry continues due to the members' independent actions, the brand value of New Jeans, ADOR's only artist, will inevitably decline, and as a result, ADOR may lose its competitiveness as a management company and face a management crisis. We also reflected the judgment that even if the main ruling that the exclusive contract is valid is made several years later, it may already be impossible to restore it to its original state.
ADOR appealed to the court through the injunction application, saying, "Before legal responsibility expands uncontrollably for the sake of New Jeans, we must provide an opportunity to correct our wrong judgments or actions." In addition, they also conveyed the industry-wide concern that "if a precedent is created where they unilaterally declare the termination of their exclusive contract and begin independent entertainment activities without going through legal procedures, the incentive to invest in the entertainment industry will disappear, shaking the foundation of the K-pop industry and causing it to shrink significantly."
Meanwhile, ADOR has consistently supported all personnel and facilities for New Jeans' entertainment activities, and plans to continue to do so, in accordance with its position that its exclusive contract with New Jeans is valid. In addition, ADOR is receiving external offers for various projects, such as advertisements and events, and internally, they have already completed planning this year's activities, including the release of a full-length album and fan meetings, so they have conveyed their wishes to be able to communicate sufficiently with the New Jeans members.
"What is this? They're selling Do Kyungsoo's light stick......"
This is what it looks like in real life
They're selling it for 45,000 won
original post: here
1. It looks like a water bottle
2. It does look like Kyungsoo's aesthetics but it's sucks...
4. I'm a fan, and rather than the price or the design, I'm more convinced to not buy it for the low quality. Even as another group's fan. sometimes there are groups whose light sticks are so pretty that I would want one. But like another comment said, I feel like the impeachment light stick is prettier than this
5. Freaking sucks
6. The designer is shameless
7. The design sucks but the prices are even more shameless
8. Can't we just use our EXO-L bong?
9. The design lacks way too much sincerity
10. It does look like something that suits the singer, but the price is really taking fans for granted
National/metropolitan
Ep. 2 : 6.5 / 6.7
Ep. 3 : 10.5 / 10.3 🔺highest
original post: here
1. This is f*cking fun and he's f*cking handsome
2. Lee Junhyuk suits his role like a glove. Please let's shoot more romance now
3. How is Lee Junhyuk's face only showing up in melo-romance now? ㅜㅜㅜ Seriously he's too good
4. Seriously Lee Junhyuk is freaking handsome
5. It already hit 10...? But Lee Junhyuk is honestly insane, he needs to keep picking scripts like that with that voice and expressions of his. Of course, he should try sageuks too
6. The first part of ep.1 was a bit weird but it became super fun from the 2nd half
7. I'll need to wait until ep.4 ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I'm so looking forward
8. I'm watching for sure
9. The visual combination is legendary
10. Me too I'm watching it religiously now ㅋㅋㅋ
0005225060_001_20250111182820562.jpg
Actor Park Sung-hoon is going through the process of leaving the new tvN drama 'The Tyrant's Chef'.
According to OSEN's coverage on the afternoon of the 11th, Park Sung-hoon has decided to finally leave the new tvN drama 'The Tyrant's Chef', which is scheduled to be released this year. According to a broadcaster, the production company and his agency reached an amicable agreement and decided that Park Sung-hoon will not appear.
'The Tyrant's Chef' is a drama that tells the story of a French chef who time-slips from the present to the past and meets the worst tyrant and the greatest gourmet, the king, and their love that transcends 500 years. It has attracted the attention of fans as a new work by director Jang Tae-yoo, who has been well-received for SBS's 'Deep-Rooted Tree', 'My Love from the Star', 'Hyena', and MBC's 'Flowers that Bloom at Night', and the script was written by writer HapJak. It also received great anticipation with the casting of Im Yoon-ah from 'King the Land' and Park Sung-hoon from 'Squid Game' Season 2.
However, Park Sung Hoon recently caused a stir by accidentally uploading an AV parodying 'Squid Game' on his personal SNS, and the first script reading was canceled at the same time as the national mourning period. Regarding this, the 'Tyrant Chef' side stated to OSEN, "The script reading was canceled because we wanted to join in mourning the victims of the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, and it has nothing to do with actor Park Sung Hoon's controversy."
During the 'Squid Game 2' interview on the 8th, Park Sung Hoon bowed his head and apologized in tears for the SNS controversy.
When he said, "Actually, since Squid Game 2 was released, it should have been a time when you should have been happier than anyone else, but I think you must have had a hard time," he hesitated for a moment and then started to cry, his eyes reddening. He eventually said, "This happened while the work and the characters were receiving a lot of attention and love..." and "I'm really upset, and as you said, I feel most sorry for our entire team at this time," and shed tears.
He said, "It was uploaded by mistake, but I think a mistake is a mistake. I have worried many people, and I am fully aware of my mistake, and I have been reflecting and blaming myself for several days. I continue to do so up until this moment." He repeatedly apologized, saying, "I fully feel the seriousness of this situation, and in the future, I will be careful with my words and actions so that similar mistakes do not occur again. I will continue my career as an actor. No matter what the excuse is, I am the one who did wrong, so I hope you will only criticize me."
This is really randomized..
It's 17,500 won per gatcha ($11)
You can listen to the 30th anniversary album of SMTOWN with the NFC chip on your phone (but only from the release date in February)
original post: here
2. Clearer photo
3. 17,500won for just this?
4. Those aren't even all the debut albums
5. Ha I want to have one so bad ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ My bias group one is so pretty
6. That's not even their debut album ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
7. Cherry Bomb's album cover is my style
8. RV's Dumb Dumb is too good
9. Wow the 1st gen idol ones are so nice
10. It's way too expensive
Hello, this is Starship Entertainment.
We would like to update on the incident that happened on Starship Entertainment’s weibo today.
The incident happened when our staff was reporting hate posts, and the post has since been deleted. We would like to sincerely apologise to the artist and fans who may have been affected by this incident.
We will work on managing our account better, to prevent similar mistakes from happening again.
Once again, we would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused.
Lee Sooman, the former general producer of SM, will not be attending the 'SM 30th Anniversary Concert.'
A representative from Lee Sooman’s side stated on the 10th to Ilgan Sports, "Producer Lee Sooman will not be attending 'SM Town Live 2025'," and added, "He found out about the concert invitation through the news, and we confirmed that the invitation was sent by registered mail."
SM Entertainmen will hold the 'SM Town Live 2025' concert in Seoul at the Gocheok Sky Dome on the 11th and 12th to celebrate its 30th anniversary. It is known that SM invited Lee Soo-man, the founder, to the concert as a gesture of respect.
source: https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/241/0003406712
original post: here
1. Imagine how shocked he was ㅠㅠ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
2. They kicked him out, they sent him the invitation one-sided and they mediaplayed with it...
3. Huh? I thought I read someone said that Lee Sooman was attending? Was that mediaplay?
4. But did he even want to go himself? He must've been shocked when he saw the title
5. So they just sent him an invitation without ever telling him so they can mediaplay about it? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ sigh
6. I wouldn't go if I was him too..
7. Lee Sooman was the one who was planning to sell SM to HYBE first right?
8. Hul ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
9. Is SM joking?
10. At this rate, are they mocking Lee Sooman?
0005224387_001_20250110090411965.jpg
Singer and actor T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun) will finally be interviewed for Season 2 of Netflix's 'Squid Game'.
According to OSEN on the morning of the 10th, T.O.P will meet with reporters for the first time at a cafe in Seoul on the 15th for an interview. Having been excluded from various promotional activities such as production presentations and global showcases, interest is growing about what he will say in this first domestic interview.
Previously, T.O.P played the role of Thanos, a retired rapper, in Season 2 of the Netflix original series 'Squid Game' that was released last month. He was once successful as a rapper, but he invested in a coin recommended by YouTuber Lee Myung-ki (Im Si-wan) and went broke. He participates in the game due to debt from the coin, and he sneaks in synthetic drugs and takes them by hiding them in his necklace.
However, regarding the casting process, a controversy arose over the casting of connections, saying, "Wasn't he recommended for a global production because of his friendship with Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun?" Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun refuted this, saying, "It's not true. Casting is an abuse of authority for actors." Director Hwang Dong-hyeok also drew a line on the rumor, saying, "We saw potential in him, and whenever he showed any shortcomings, he was finally chosen after several auditions." Meanwhile, TOP stopped acting after being sentenced to 10 months in prison and 2 years of probation for marijuana smoking in 2016. He also made statements suggesting retirement from the entertainment industry, but resumed his activities by appearing in Season 2 of 'Squid Game'.
President-elect Donald Trump can be sentenced Friday in his New York hush money case, the Supreme Court said in a 5-4 ruling.
The high court on Thursday rejected Trump’s emergency request to delay the proceeding, setting the stage for him to be sentenced just days before he is inaugurated on January 20 for a second term.
Four conservative justices – Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh – said they would have granted Trump’s request. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberals to side against Trump.
Judge Juan Merchan, the New York judge who oversaw Trump’s trial, had ordered sentencing in the case for Friday morning but has signaled that Trump will face neither penalties nor prison time.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday at 9:30 a.m. Trump will appear virtually, according to a person familiar with the plans, joining the proceedings from Mar-a-Lago.
In a brief, one-paragraph statement, the court said that some of Trump’s concerns could be handled “in the ordinary course on appeal.” The court also reasoned that the burden sentencing would impose on Trump’s responsibilities is “relatively insubstantial” in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose no penalty.
The president-elect’s request at the US Supreme Court was an extraordinary appeal because the justices rarely dip into a state criminal case before all appeals in state courts are fully exhausted. Trump’s underlying challenge to his conviction is still pending and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued the Supreme Court didn’t have jurisdiction to even consider the emergency request to delay the sentencing.
Trump was convicted in May of falsifying business records over payments to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to reimburse a $130,000 hush money payment made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, in order to keep her from speaking out about an alleged affair before the 2016 election. (Trump has denied the affair.)
The incoming president, who will be inaugurated in less than two weeks, is fighting his conviction, saying that it should be tossed because a conservative majority of the Supreme Court in July ruled that former presidents are entitled to sweeping immunity for official actions.
Part of Trump’s argument was that his trial included evidence involving official actions from his time in office, which under the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, would ordinarily be barred from reaching a jury. Prosecutors countered that those concerns could be hashed out on appeal.
Merchan rejected that argument in December, ruling that the evidence presented by the Manhattan district attorney’s office was not related to Trump’s official conduct as president.
Trump’s attorneys told the Supreme Court that having to deal with the sentencing would distract from his transition to power and potentially jeopardize national security.
“Defending criminal litigation at all stages – especially, as here, defending a criminal sentencing – is uniquely taxing and burdensome to a criminal defendant,” Trump’s lawyers told the high court.
“President Trump is currently engaged in the most crucial and sensitive tasks of preparing to assume the executive power in less than two weeks, all of which are essential to the United States’ national security and vital interests,” they wrote.
New York prosecutors scoffed at that argument in their own filing Thursday.
“There is a compelling public interest in proceeding to sentencing,” Bragg told the Supreme Court. “Defendant has provided no record support for his claim that his duties as President-elect foreclose him from virtually attending a sentencing that will likely take no more than an hour.”
In a final filing Thursday, Trump argued that the case involved concerns of “great national importance” and that “the constitutional structure, and the nation” would be “irreparably harmed by letting the sentencing go forward.”
Actor Im Siwan expressed his affection for the Squid Game series.
During an interview for the Netflix original series Squid Game Season 2 (hereafter Squid Game 2) at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 9th, Im Siwan said, "Big Bang was the star of our generation," and humorously added, "I’m acting with TOP from BigBang, and I'm stabbing him with a fork," which made everyone laugh.
Squid Game 2 depicts the intense rivalry between Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), who returns seeking revenge and participates in the game again, and the Frontman (played by Lee Byung-hun), who welcomes him, along with the start of the real game once more. Im Siwan plays the role of Myung-gi, a YouTuber who runs an investment YouTube channel called "Jin-gi-Myung-gi."
Regarding his role as Myung-gi, who clashes with TOP’s character Thanos in the series, Im Siwan said, "BigBang was the star of stars during that era. We didn't get to see each other much because they had separate waiting rooms, but just greeting them as they passed by would become a topic of conversation, like, ‘Did they notice me?’ Even Kwang-hee would say, ‘I think BigBang saw your clothes.’"
He continued, "So, in the scene where I stab TOP with a fork, it was such an intense moment that I think it received a lot of reactions."
Im Siwan also shared that TOP was injured during that scene. He explained, "I used to attend action school with TOP, and looking back, that scene required us to really get into it. So, while filming, TOP ended up breaking a rib. He really showed fighting spirit through the injury."
Im Siwan added, "I've broken my rib during boxing, so I know how painful and difficult it is, to the point where you can't even breathe. Normally, filming would stop, but he kept going without any complaints. I really felt that his experience as a top celebrity was exceptional."
He also mentioned his gratitude toward senior actor Song Youngchang, saying, "He was the one who approached me first and took care of me."
source: https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/015/0005080163
original post: here
1. ??????? He's insane
2. Hul I just learned about Song Youngchang's incident now ㄷㄷ....
3. Ah this is disgusting
4. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is legendary
5. Do they not know about the controversies in their own industry? I'm actually shocked
6. Song Youngchang is that guy who did pro***** with a minor right...? Does he now know how to read the room? I'm barfing
7. ....? He's literally acting with them.... So he's just choosing to turn a blind eye on everything
8. They have Lee Jungjae and Lee Byunghun too, why must he mention them... I think if you want to pick something to talk about, you need to take accountability for that
9. Oh...Okay....
10. It's because he knows he'll be just fine as long as he pretends not to know anything ㅋㅋㅋ
Why are they suddenly not appearing?ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ"
"+12: Throwing that out on Bubble is a power move in itself. Do you really think they would include someone in the lineup poster without consulting the person involved? The way they act like they're being worshipped is infuriating, and flipping their attitude like that is just so unpleasant to watch. If they have so many complaints, please, just leaveㅜㅜ
> +6: Sigh... Same feelings here.
It's beyond disappointed and I'm actually getting angry>:(
While everyone else is breaking their backs preparing for the final stretch before the performance, do they think just posting one Bubble message is enough?
Seeing those chaotic articles, there's so much I could say, but, hmm... If you're a sunbae, act like a sunbae. If you're experienced, think a bit more before speaking."
> Ahh... ah.....
> I hope that it's not an issue with their contracts.. SM, don't be like thisㅠㅠ
+16: I can't say anything long but I've been working on the SM Concert since last summer
> +3: That's right, we all know very well that the company is the easy target for blame, so don't be too upset..."
"+12: The entertainment company always ends up taking the blame...
+12: Rushing to share only their own perspective on Bubble when they're upset isn't a good look
+10: It's not "suddenly"... don't trust what celebrities say
+ 4: I have a lot to say but we'll refrain from saying it
- Sigh......"
Taeyeon and Wendy's Bubble
"I was really eager to perform on stage and wanted to prepare for two or three songs with lots of enthusiasm. I told the company about it and was waiting... but to sum it up, they didn't prepare anything, so I couldn't perform at all.
It's absolutely not because I lack motivation or don't want to do it.. I'm just very passionate about the stage and want to give it my all, but they haven't been very supportive, which has made me seriously think about what's going on. I'm sharing this with you, SONE, because I don't want there to be any misunderstandings about me"
"Hello, you may have seen the notice by now, or maybe you haven't yet... The discussion with the company happened over a month ago, but the notice just went up today..."
original post: here
1. Are they selectively trusting who they want? ㅋㅋ They said that they were not trusting the company and now are trusting them again
2. All of the fans who have been fans of SM artists know how sh*tty SM's management isㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ They’re trying to pin the blame on the artist so I don't believe them
3. Taeyeon is sharing everything she wants on Bubble so of course the employees can share their disappointment too
4. I feel f*cking bad for the employees
5. What's with the comment saying that people are blaming the company?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ From the employees' perspective, the company is the one getting hate so why should they care?ㅋ
6. But it's not the first or second time that SM had been trash when it comes to their management?
7. Taeyeon wasn't talking to any of those employees leaving comments so why are they so triggered?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
8. Why did they make Kwangya 119? The company's employees are the antis themselves
9. The issue isn't that they are not attending. Isn't it because they have not been properly communicated?
10. As someone who works in an office, I really relate to the posts on Blind. The way celebrities backtrack on their words is on another level compared to what ordinary people would expect. Just look at how SM fans defend them here, it's probably because there are so many shinyeos
"Min Hee-jin, Blatant Lies... Also Discussed Ways to Remove NewJeans," Chairman Park Jeong-gyu's Determined Revelation
"I was shocked to hear that I had never received any investment and had never met with any investors. Min Hee-jin is telling a blatant lie. We discussed investment for 3 hours and even talked about how to get New Jeans out."
Park Jeong-gyu, the chairman of Dabolink, who met with former CEO Min Hee-jin at the end of September last year to discuss establishing a new company and even presented specific plans for raising funds, gave an interview to Ten Asia. This is the first time that Chairman Park has met with the press and specifically explained the investment-related conversations he had with former CEO Min under his own name.
When we met at a location in Seoul on the 7th, Chairman Park Jeong-gyu complained that since former CEO Min denied having met him, he has become a liar and suffered damages such as a drop in stock price. Chairman Park raised his voice, saying that former CEO Min's denial of meeting him was an absurd lie.
◆"Min Hee-jin also knew about the 5 billion investment proposal"
According to Chairman Park, he received the investment request from former CEO Min around the end of August last year, and Mr. B, the eldest uncle of Group New Jeans member A, served as a bridge.
"I got a call from Mr. B while I was playing golf on a Sunday in late August. He said I had to meet him today. He said he would wait in front of my house. I met him in front of my house at around 9 p.m. When I heard him talking, he asked me to invest 5 billion won in former Chairman Min. When he suddenly asked me to invest 5 billion won, I said I couldn't do it. It was a big risk and I couldn't decide on it right away. I met him again the next day. I made a counteroffer. I said we should structure it by taking Dabolink instead. I thought we could secure enough investment funds by utilizing the capital market. I also made a decision to make a profit. After hearing that, Mr. B called former Chairman Min on speakerphone right then and there. As soon as Min Hee-jin answered the phone, she asked, 'Did you hear about your father's story?' That means she knew. It is clear that Min Hee-jin knew about the 5 billion won investment proposal." The meeting between Chairman Park and former Chairman Min took place on September 30. Former Chairman Min and Mr. B gathered at Chairman Park’s house. The photo released by a media outlet saying that Chairman Park and Min Hee-jin were discussing investment-related matters was taken that day. According to Chairman Park, the purpose of the meeting that day was to discuss how to transfer Dabolink to former Chairman Min and how to procure the necessary funds.
Chairman Park proposed to former Chairman Min to acquire Dabolink. The plan was for Mr. B to take the lead in acquiring Dabolink and then hand over actual management rights to former Chairman Min. Chairman Park explained how to procure the funds for the Dabolink acquisition and explained that it would be possible to secure the necessary funds for the entertainment business through a capital increase. Chairman Park would sell Dabolink to former Chairman Min and make a profit by selling his stake. Chairman Park proposed to former Chairman Min a plan that would benefit him while avoiding investment risks.
◆ Plans to take out New Jeans also discussed
Chairman Park and former Chairman Min discussed a plan to take New Jeans out of Adore. Chairman Park explained that former CEO Min first asked, "Can I take New Jeans out?" and said, "I thought that in order to take those members out, I would have to throw them away first. I asked him, 'If I don't give up and try to take everything, who would let it go?' I even advised Min Hee-jin that if she left Adore, the company's value would fall, and that would be the only way she could eventually take New Jeans out."
◆Why did Chairman Park Jeong-gyu and former CEO Min Hee-jin turn their backs on each other?
Chairman Park said that former CEO Min talked about herself for more than 70% of the three-hour conversation. A significant portion of it was about her conflict with Hive and her complaints about Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. Chairman Park said, "When he called Chairman Bang 'a pig XX' in front of someone I just met, I thought, 'This isn't the right person.' Isn't that just basic manners? I explained what I had planned, but I had a feeling that it wouldn't work out."
As a result, it seems that Chairman Park and former CEO Min did not agree on specific investment methods. The problem is what happened after that. Chairman Park later stated that he was annoyed by former CEO Min’s evasion of the idea that he had “never met with investors.” It is interpreted that the stock price fluctuated as the meeting between the two became known to the investment industry. Some analyze that the method proposed by Chairman Park is not a simple form of receiving investment, so it may be difficult for former CEO Min to easily accept the proposal.
◆Min Hee-jin still denies investor contact rumors
This magazine first interviewed Chairman Park at the end of last year. After interviewing Chairman Park, we requested confirmation of the facts from former CEO Min Hee-jin. Regarding this, former CEO Min’s side stated, “We would like to clarify that Chairman Park Jeong-gyu’s claims regarding former CEO Min Hee-jin are completely untrue,” and “Former CEO Min has never discussed investment with Chairman Park Jeong-gyu and has never proposed investment.” In order to hear additional explanations, our paper met Chairman Park again on the 7th and conducted an additional interview. This was to ensure the right to object, as both sides were telling completely different stories. However, there is a part of former Chairman Min’s position that does not conform to common sense. He even denies that he “met” with Chairman Park. This is analyzed as being closely related to legal responsibility. Former Chairman Min has been particularly sensitive to the “investor contact theory.” This is because former Chairman Min’s meeting with external investors as an internal director while in office at Adore could be one of the elements of a breach of trust. Breach of trust is not simply a matter of planning, but of actual execution. It is in the same context that former Chairman Min has expressed his “de-hive” plan as “company employee dissatisfaction.” Former Chairman Min’s act of meeting Chairman Park to discuss investment and asking about ways to get New Jeans out could be an element of a breach of trust. The fact that he conspired to bring out the members of New Jeans, which was confirmed in the conversation with Chairman Park, is also circumstantial evidence supporting the suspicion of tampering.
On April 26th of last year, Hive filed a criminal complaint against former Chairman Min for breach of trust. The investigation is still ongoing. In the meantime, the materials obtained during Hive’s audit of former Chairman Min were the subject of controversy. Former Chairman Min’s side argued that there was no specific evidence of breach of trust. This is why the conversation that former Chairman Min had with Chairman Park can play a ‘key role’ in the investigation and future trial. This is because this meeting was an act that was carried out. Whether former Chairman Min acted in a way that violated the principle of good faith as a member of Adore and whether it ultimately caused damage to Adore can also be issues in determining whether breach of trust was committed.
