'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On Tuesday, April 23, the Korean media outlet Yonhap News reported on the ongoing conflict between HYBE Labels and ADOR. During a recent audit that HYBE conducted with ADOR, they found several instances of alleged pieces of evidence. The alleged evidence revolved around the entertainment executives' plan to make ADOR independent from its parent label and take full control of it.
One of the alleged documents revealed that CEO Min Hee-jin accused HYBE Labels and Bang Si-hyuk of plagiarising her ideas. She reportedly said that the recently debuted groups such as IILLIT, TWS, and RIIZE copied her strategies for NewJeans. She also reportedly accused Bang Si-hyuk of stealing her idea and creating BTS. According to Yonhap News, the ADOR CEO said:
"Chairman Bang Si-hyuk copied me and created BTS."
HYBE Labels reportedly finds documents of ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin claiming that Bang Si-hyuk copied her to create BTS
On April 22, the Korean media outlet MTN reported that HYBE Labels executed its rights on ADOR and conducted an audit on suspicions of a power struggle. The audit reportedly revealed that ADOR's executives, specifically CEO Min Hee-jin and another executive, have been developing plans to make the company independent from HYBE since the beginning of 2024.
Due to this, HYBE has requested a shareholders meeting demanding the ADOR executives' attendance. While the label plans to have the executives sign off from the board during the meeting, it also demands the resignation of Min Hee-jin from both HYBE and ADOR. However, MTN also reported that the ADOR executives might not consent to the meeting
In the case of ADOR's absence from the shareholders' meeting, HYBE might take legal action against the board members. ADOR would naturally stand in the offense. Most recently, Yonhap News reported about the alleged documents that HYBE Labels found during its audit. One of them was the work diary of the ADOR executive who's closely associated with Min Hee-jin.
The diary reportedly had several subheadings under the title "Agenda," such as "Agreement to Change Contract," "Management Planning," etc. It also had a title named "How can G-P survive?." According to Yonhap News, for HYBE Labels, the G stands for Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), and P represents the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund (PIF).
HYBE explained that this might be because the label has been in plans for some of ADOR's shares in either of the above-mentioned organizations. Another alleged title in the work diary was "How to sell HYBE." The agency sees this as a threat that ADOR planned to take control of the 80% shares of ADOR that HYBE Labels owns.
Yonhap News explained that one of the "pressure methods" the ADOR executives used against HYBE was their statement to outside sources and media outlets. In an internal interview at the headquarters, Min Hee-jin reportedly accused the label of stealing her idea for creating recently debuted K-pop groups.
"ILLIT copied NewJeans, TWS copied NewJeans, and RIIZE copied NewJeans," she allegedly said.
She also reportedly claimed that Bang Si-hyuk copied her idea and created BTS. An insider of the music industry stated that these are one of many methodologies that ADOR has been plotting to pressure HYBE into availing them full control of the agency. Other insiders also reportedly noted that the conflict might've risen due to the alleged lack of compensation to Min Hee-jin for NewJeans' success.
Her demands for more than double the original compensation were reportedly not met, leading to the executives taking matters into their own hands and plotting ADOR's independence.
