This [megathread](https://i.imgur.com/CuuqLsG.png) is about the ongoing conflict between HYBE and the management of sub-label ADOR.
**DO NOT** make new posts related to this story to the subreddit. If you have new information/articles, add them to the comments below so they can be integrated into the main post.
**DISCLAIMER ABOUT SOURCES: We prefer to focus on official statements from companies or other vetted sources. There will be widespread speculation and rumor-heavy articles, but until presented in an official capacity we consider them unsubstantiated. As Mods, all we can do is compile and summarize, but we are not investigators or journalists.**
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## Basic Info
* **HYBE Corporation:** South Korean entertainment company which contains many subsidiaries, including music labels Big Hit Music, Source Music, Pledis Ent., Belift Lab, KOZ Ent, and **ADOR**. HYBE’s explosive growth from the much smaller Big Hit Entertainment was possible due to BTS’s global success.
* **Park Jiwon** is HYBE’s current CEO and **Bang Sihyuk** is HYBE’s current chairman and founder of HYBE (formerly Big Hit Ent.).
* **Min Hee Jin** was previously SM Entertainment’s creative director, then HYBE’s chief brand officer, and currently sub-label ADOR’s CEO. ADOR was essentially established for Min Hee Jin to develop a girl group. She and the unnamed ADOR Vice President hold a total of 20% stake in ADOR. HYBE owns the remaining 80%.
* **LE SSERAFIM** (Source Music – debuted May ’22) and **NewJeans** (ADOR – debuted July ’22) and **ILLIT** (Belift Lab – debuted March ’24) are all the current girl groups within HYBE and are relevant to the current conflict.
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## Articles / Timeline
> **MEGATHREADS [ONE](https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/1ca81me/megathread_hybe_co_audits_sublabel_adors/) and [TWO](https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/1cbxfda/megathread_2_hybe_co_audits_sublabel_adors/) covered events from April 22nd to the 25th**
**240422**
* HYBE announced they had initiated an internal audit of ADOR’s management including CEO Min Hee Jin based on indications they may be attempting to separate ADOR from HYBE and become an independent label. Reports suggested ADOR’s management had sought outside investors, leaked classified company documents, and schemed to get HYBE to give up their 80% stake in ADOR. HYBE called for Min Hee Jin to resign.
* Min Hee Jin publicly responded, stating she had no intentions to break away with ADOR and that it would be impossible to do so without HYBE’s consent. She claimed HYBE’s audit was media play to obscure the real basis of the conflict, which was her frustration that the creative concept of newly debuted group ILLIT had copied her own work in establishing the distinct concept of NewJeans after it was so successful.
> Sources: [Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1656376wpp/hybe-initiates-audit-of-adors-management-including-ceo-min-hee-jin) and [Yonhap News](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240422008200315?section=culture/k-pop)
**240423 and 240424**
* As HYBE carried out their audit internally for the next days, rumors, speculation, and allegations went back and forth. Park Jiwon further confirmed they had uncovered concerning documents and defended the importance of the audit urged that the safety of the artists was their top priority.
* ADOR’s unnamed vice president publicly admitted to the existence of documents proposing a break from HYBE, but claimed they were personal musings that weren’t serious and not discussed with Min Hee Jin.
> Sources: [Yonhap News](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240423006400315) and [Korea JoongAng Daily](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-04-24/business/industry/ADOR-vice-president-distances-CEO-Min-Heejin-from-antiHYBE-documents/2032492)
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> **MEGATHREAD [THREE](https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/1ccohqt/megathread_3_hybe_vs_ador_interim_audit_report/) primarily covered events from April 25th to 26th**
**240425**
* HYBE released their interim audit report noting concrete evidence ADOR’s management schemed to ‘torment HYBE’ in various ways, especially to escalate in May. HYBE announced they would be filing a formal accusation for breach of trust against ADOR’s executives to authorities.
* Min Hee Jin held an emergency press conference alongside two lawyers ([TV10 YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt3AafMk3XI)). She spoke for over two hours detailing the internal politics in HYBE and covering a large breadth of issues and. Her primary frustration was the process of debuting the three girl groups under HYBE: LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, and ILLIT. She believed NewJeans was formed to be the first HYBE girl group, but was betrayed when plans were made to debut LE SSERAFIM first. After NewJeans achieved great success following their debut, she felt it was another betrayal that ILLIT was debuted in another sub-label copying the same creative concept she had designed for NewJeans. The overall press conference was highly emotional and included screenshots of private chats of her interactions with HYBE’s executives throughout.
> Sources: [Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1657032wpp/hybe-releases-interim-report-about-audit-of-ador-to-file-formal-accusation) and [Korea JoongAng Daily](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-04-25/business/industry/HYBE-pushed-NewJeans-aside-for-Le-Sserafim-says-Min-Heejin/2033888)
* HYBE made a brief statements that Min Hee Jin had distorted facts in the press conference, that all claims could be denied, that she should stop involving artists and their parents, and called again for her to resign. HYBE also confirmed NewJeans’ upcoming promotions would go ahead as scheduled.
> Source: [Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1657107wpp/hybe-releases-statement-in-response-to-ador-ceo-min-hee-jins-press-conference)
**240426**
* Min Hee Jin gave a radio interview to CBS’ Kim Hyun Jung’s News Show reiterating her positions and feelings.
> Sources: [Radio show on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ccV2bn6kxo) and [Yonhap News](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240426006200315?section=search)
* HYBE released a more thoroughly detailed refutation of Min Hee Jins’ claims presented during the press conference, covering twelve distinct points of interest. Key sections include refuting the repeated conversations of schemes to break ADOR away as merely casual personal musings, addressing issues related to salary and stock compensation, noting the delayed time of NewJeans’ debut after LE SSERAFIM was Min Hee Jin’s own request to make schedules independently for ADOR, providing comparitive numbers of media promotions between various company artists to counter her claims of HYBE neglecting NewJeans, and noting the advice she sought from a shaman ‘friend’ included sharing confidential company information, among many other issues.
> Source: [Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1657474wpp/hybe-releases-new-detailed-statement-as-refutation-of-ador-ceo-min-hee-jins-claims-at-press-conference)
* NewJeans released their new pre-release track ‘Bubble Gum’ as scheduled. ([MV Discussion post](https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/1cdnlw2/newjeans_bubble_gum/))
**Looking ahead:** The weekend will likely (hopefully!) be quieter. HYBE will supposedly hold a shareholder’s meeting on the 30th. We will roughly plan for the 5th megathread following major developments on Monday or the meeting if it occurs on Tuesday.
***
**Link back to MEGATHREADS [ONE](https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/1ca81me/megathread_hybe_co_audits_sublabel_adors/) and [TWO](https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/1cbxfda/megathread_2_hybe_co_audits_sublabel_adors/) and [THREE](https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/1ccohqt/megathread_3_hybe_vs_ador_interim_audit_report/)**
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Please maintain civility in comments. No insulting each other. Find a way to discuss your opinions without disparaging fellow users or inciting fandom wars.
**You may add links to articles or provide translations here in comments and we will update the post as quickly as we are able. Please be patient while we may be shorthanded and initial reporting will likely be chaotic and difficult to manage.**
by KPOP_MOD
18 Comments
Checking formatting and updating links. Locked for a few minutes!
*Oh god, I’m so tired….*
**EDIT:** Unlocked! On we go.
Did something new happen today??
So Sakura is taking a break from her activities due to health problems. I fucking hope it’s not because of these recent events.
Let’s end this.
Hitman Vs Min Hee-Jin
MMA rules.
Winner gets HYBE.
Let’s go.
What if Hybe does not win the lawsuit, due to insufficient proof or something else. What will happen to MHJ and NJ?
it’s crazy how gullible people actually are, just one press conference and they changed sides 😭. Can’t wait for them to change sides again when new information comes out and she’s declared guilty in court for those allegations.
Looking like a *quiet* weekend ahead. I wonder how the shareholder meeting will go. Also, I wonder how long it’ll take for HYBE’s police report to be responded to
My las 2 cents for the weekend:
1. We’re witnessing “Project 1945” being executed: HYBE smear campaign in full force and people claiming NJs are misstreated, even if they gave MHJ her own label, her favourite source music trainees, her favorite music producers, several debut music videos, her own fan app, HYBEs top floor, top brand deals, lollapalooza deal, etc. The misstreatment argument is unsustainable.
2. HYBE needs to endure the hate and continue with the legal procedures
3. NEVER, and I mean NEVER go as low as MHJ, HYBE. I dont want to wake up tomorrow and see a press conference with LSF & ILLIT crying and asking MHJ to stop the hate. Dont do the same as her, be better.
HYBE is a flawed company but you can’t convinve me they didn’t spoil MHJ and New Jeans. There wasn’t any “mistreatment”.
– MHJ wanted to separate from HYBE and have her own label? Check.
– Wanted complete creative control? Check.
– MHJ to get 20% shares? Check.
– Not happy with the 5% shares being tied up? HYBE was willing to negotiate, check.
– Become the **HIGHEST PAID SALARY for an individual in HYBE and all subsidiaries**? Check.
– Even got a 2 billion won bonus? Check
– Didn’t like Weverse and wanted an app just for New Jeans? Made one just for her, check.
– Wanted the top floor in HYBE building just for ADOR? Check.
– Girls got a luxury dorm with individual rooms AND a recording studio? Check.
– To be marketed as BTS’s little sister? Check. Even LSF or ILLIT didn’t get this.
– 273 press releases for New Jeans alone in 2023 which is more than what BIGHIT and PLEDIS got? Check.
I’m starting to think someone was in love with MHJ because they gave her EVERYTHING she asked for. HYBE is dumb for giving her so much power as well. HYBE may be a flawed company but I’ll roll my eyes at anyone who thinks MHJ is an underdog “art graduate” and that New Jeans was mistreated. If this is mistreatment, I’d like to be mistreated.
I will SCREAM if the Shaman comes out about their experience and role in this situation 🤧📿🔮🧙
Im just stuck on the hate campaigns she sent to 2 innocent girl groups. This debacle (and TBF many previous debacles) made me realize how scary mob mentality is. You can show them all the amount of proof that LSF and ILLIT not favoured over NJ, but it doesn’t matter, they spam anything related to those groups with the most vile hatred, like they want to destroy them. All because of groupthink. No amount of holes in her story matter, what matters in relentlessly attacking young women and girls with no involvement based on the most paper thin evidence you can think of.
Everyone is waiting for more Hybe news to drop so that the public sides against MHJ, but what if the unexpected happens and more and more people side with MHJ? I mean no one thought that after the press con, MHJ would get support from anyone.
Megathread 4? It’s only been 5 to 6 days since the news broke, and we’re already on megathread 4!! Us messy people are eating good!!
I’ve only been checking on updates sporadically and just got around to reading HYBE’s detailed response from 240426. From my perspective it looks like they have receipts and MHJ already makes *boatloads* of cash and has gotten everything she’s ever asked for. This part: “The value of her stocks is very large to the extent that cannot be imagined by normal people.” is infuriating on so many levels. I’m so ready for this thing to go to court.
I see a lot of questions about why did Hybe choose to make the allegations public and seemingly place the blame of the current turn of events on Hybe’s feet.
On top of the fiduciary duty of a public company to inform investors of material impacts to their business (of which a sub label plotting a coup definitely counts), the other important bit is to get ahead of MHJ’s plot that they found out.
Hybe knew earlier that MHJ had intentions to have Njs leave Ador/Hybe. Part of MHJ’s plan was to “criticizing every action of Hybe, ways to harass HYBE, ***prep for May’s public opinion battle***, and making ADOR an empty shell and then taking it” [[source](https://twitter.com/tmikpop/status/1783285032804864383)]. Also importantly, the plot includes “ways to **terminate the exclusive artist contact**” [[source](https://twitter.com/tmikpop/status/1783285030883934422)]
From Hybe’s perspective, they cannot be sure if MHJ’s complaints about alleged plagiarism was in good faith, or if it was only step 1 along a larger plot to have Njs leave Ador, to create the basis of mistreatment, and undermine Hybe from the inside. The reference to a public opinion battle with *specific* timeline (apparently May 2024) meant that Hybe had to act fast. Hence leading to where we are now.
The support of koreans to MHJ narratives make me understand why several SK political events occured. Their culture is very different based more on what ppl supports than actual facts i realy cant understand that but is realy weird read knetz aganist Le Sserafim and Illit(with personal insults) while they cry about bullism in schools and mobbing at work.
Its not offensive, i like South Korea and koreans but just weird and difficult to understand
It’s wild to me that she literally had “create a court of public opinion” as part of her escape plan, she’s used her press conference to do that, and people are still viewing her as some innocent victim.
On the topic of the apparent Korea’s gp support for MHJ, I would like to caution against excessive generalization and drawing too much into this.
Apparently the gp is supporting MHJ’s image as the embodiment of the bullied and unheard employee, not because of the substantive of the case. Public opinions are notoriously fickle and ephemeral. Would the same support hold when the public realises she is worth upwards of ***100 million*** USD? Or that just in 2023 she earned almost 2 million USD as her incentive, not including her base compensation? Or of the many alleged staff and employee abuse by her through her career (if the various blind reviews are to believed)?
Those of us on reddit who wants a quick resolution to this will unfortunately have to wait. If Hybe is handling this above board, according to the law and in good faith, it is unlikely MHJ comes out on top.