"[Hodo Station] NewJeans' 'mother' gives first TV interview after dismissal: 'The reason for seeking management rights'"
The globally popular Korean girl group NewJeans is adored worldwide. Their “foster parent,” Min Hee-jin (44), was dismissed from her position as the CEO of their agency this past August. This time, she spoke to our cameras for the first time since her dismissal.
First TV Interview After NewJeans’ 'Mother' Dismissal: 'The Reason for Seeking Management Rights'
Min, wearing a hat pulled low over her face and dressed casually, appeared before us. It has been a month and a half since her dismissal as the label's CEO, and her circumstances have changed significantly.
Min Hee-jin:
“Contractually, I am currently neither a producer nor the CEO. I only have authority as an internal director, so it's a vague situation. However, I am still involved with the projects that I had been working on. I can’t just abandon them. I’m also still communicating with the members. Although I’m working, the next steps remain unclear, and I want to resolve this situation quickly.
(Q: Fans are worried. What will happen to NewJeans in the future?)
I don’t know; I’m not a fortune teller. I can only leave it to fate. There’s a world tour next year, and I had intended to start producing the album at the beginning of the year. I never expected things to turn out like this.”
NewJeans was named with the hope that they would become a beloved presence, like jeans, which are loved regardless of time or gender.
Min is not originally a music creator but a designer by background. Her emphasis on visuals and concepts has created a “difference.”
In just two years since their debut, NewJeans has become a girl group loved around the world.
Their advertising value is skyrocketing. Each member serves as an ambassador for luxury brands, and they are continuously receiving offers from global companies.
Min Hee-jin:
“My business approach is to 'not pitch.' The goal is to attract as much attention as possible. ‘Min Hee-jin with a girl group? What kind of team is it?’ There’s a trust in the work I’ve produced.”
The members look up to Min as a mother, and they share a strong bond.
Min Hee-jin:
“Their mothers are around my age. Hanni’s parents are the same age as me. Since her mother isn’t in Seoul, I act as her ‘Seoul mother.’ Hanni always says, ‘I have two mothers.’ While in Seoul, I have to be her support. The members are still young, so I naturally speak to them like I would to children, saying, ‘Do you like this kind of music?’ or ‘Give it a listen.’ I’m not trying to create avatars of myself. Each of the members has a distinct personality and different tastes. They process what we give them in their own way. Maybe my connection with them was a good match. We might be similar in that way. When I chose them in the audition, there was something that drew me to them, something we shared in common.”
However, the story suddenly came to a halt. The trigger was the internal conflict over management rights that erupted in April.
Min Hee-jin (in April):
“When did I ever plan to seize management rights? These fools. If you're coming, come at me one-on-one. Stop being cowardly and tell me directly.”
ADOR, the label Min was leading, is one of the subsidiaries of HYBE, Korea's largest entertainment company built by BTS's producer, Bang Si-hyuk.
HYBE initiated an internal audit, accusing Min of attempting to establish independence. Exercising its influence as the parent company, HYBE moved to dismiss Min from her position as ADOR's CEO at the end of August.
The ones who opposed this dismissal were the members of NewJeans. In an emergency broadcast without prior notice, they criticized HYBE’s actions. Korean media referred to it as a "virtual ultimatum."
Hyein (in a September 11 broadcast): “This is an issue about our lives. We don’t want to just wait and leave it to the adults.”
Danielle (in a September 11 broadcast): “We’ve only been working hard for our dreams. Did we do something wrong?”
Minji (in a September 11 broadcast): “Our wish is for Min to return as ADOR’s CEO.”
The members requested Min's reinstatement within two weeks, but HYBE rejected this, stating there was no need to change their policy. At the same time, they proposed letting Min handle the production for the next five years.
Min, however, has no intention of accepting this offer.
Min Hee-jin:
“HYBE is accusing me of breach of duty, yet they are offering me a production role. It’s a huge contradiction. How can they make such an offer?”
And so, the battle has moved to the courtroom. Min has filed an injunction with the court, seeking reinstatement, claiming her dismissal as the label’s CEO was unjust.
Originally, Min came from the well-established SM Entertainment. Her works’ creativity received high praise, leading HYBE to recruit her.
Min Hee-jin:
“I wanted to create a label that could bring a new wave to the K-pop scene and showcase creativity. I was told, ‘Let’s build a label together,’ and ‘We’ll set it up for you,’ which is why I chose HYBE, though I had many options. Without that promise, none of this would have happened.” Her insistence on the CEO position stems from her desire, as a creator, to make better things.
Min Hee-jin:
“When I was at SM, I was just a creative director, with no management authority. As I worked on various projects, I expanded the scope of my work. I felt many dilemmas and areas for improvement when I had no management authority, and I thought I should handle everything. I have a process and plan to realize my vision. To follow the plan, production, pre-investment, and management all need to work together. How you allocate and save costs is a ‘negotiation.’ The efficiency of costs can lead to significant value. As a creator, with an understanding of K-pop, I believed that maximizing management could lead to even greater creativity, and that this creativity could spread and grow as a business.”
Whether the story will move forward again is now up to the court’s judgment.
Min Hee-jin:
“This is not just my personal challenge. It’s a challenge involving the lives of everyone working with me. That’s why I’m fighting. It’s something that comes with responsibility. There’s a saying, ‘justice will prevail.’ I believe in that. Right now, I’m just standing still for a bit. I’m preparing the ‘NewJeans plan’ for when the battle is over. Even the suspended projects can someday be used in a different form. I’ve always worked flexibly. I enjoy my work, and I’m planning for how to overcome this hardship. I can’t reveal it now, but I have a plan.”
◆Let’s take a look at the claims of the parent company, HYBE. Regarding Min’s reinstatement as CEO, HYBE told us in our interview:
“We have proposed a service contract guaranteeing that she would perform her duties as a producer and receive the same treatment as she did during her time as the previous CEO, until the exclusive contract with NewJeans expires. However, the reappointment of the CEO should be decided based on the independent judgment of ADOR’s management. We ask for your understanding that HYBE is in a difficult position to comment further as the court hearing related to the injunction is ongoing. Additionally, Min’s dismissal occurred because numerous reasons were revealed that made her unfit to serve as CEO.”
The hearing on whether or not Min should be reinstated as CEO has been widely reported by international media, drawing global attention. The court is expected to reach a decision as soon as possible after receiving additional arguments from both sides by the 25th of this month.
