Megathread 26: HYBE / ADOR / MHJ – Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni return to ADOR, Talks ongoing for Minji, Danielle’s contract Terminated, Upcoming Hearings approach verdicts for various Legal Disputes, and More

This megathread is about the ongoing dispute within HYBE and the management of sub-label ADOR.

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Summary of Previous Megathreads

• ONE and TWO and THREE contains HYBE's audit of ADOR and Min Hee Jin's 1st press conference.

• FOUR summarized all events up to April 30th, 2024.

• FIVE and SIX contains potential ADOR embezzlement, MHJ's injunction and hearing, and a letter from the parents of NewJeans.

• SEVEN and EIGHT and NINE contains MHJ's injunction granted May 30th and remaining ADOR CEO, HYBE replacing ADOR board members, BELIFT LAB's video regarding plagiarism and lawsuit against MHJ.

• TEN and ELEVEN and TWELVE contains ex-ADOR employee's sexual harassment case, band Shakatak's plagiarism claim, HYBE 2.0 and ADOR restructuring with new CEO Kim Joo Young, MV director drama, the NewJeans livestream, MHJ's 2nd injunction filing and public events/interviews.

• THIRTEEN and FOURTEEN and FIFTEEN contains an interview with NewJeans' parents, Hanni and CEO Kim Joo Young at the National Assembly, MHJ's reappointment as director, Kim Taeho at the National Assembly, HYBE's Weekly Industry Report leak, the court's dismissal of MHJ's 2nd Injunction, ADOR board's vote against making MHJ's CEO again, NewJeans' certified letter of ultimatum to ADOR, rejection of Hanni's workplace bullying claim by labor ministry, MHJ's resignation from ADOR, and NewJeans' contract termination press conference.

• SIXTEEN and SEVENTEEN and EIGHTEEN contains ADOR's 26-page response to NewJeans' certified letter, Dispatch's exposé on MHJ's alleged strategy to leave HYBE, ADOR seeking validity of NewJeans member contracts, KMCA/KOSPO statements concerning tampering, the creation of the 'jeanzforfree' Instagram account, visa concerns, Employee B's MHJ defamation mediation failing, Davolink Chairman details, first hearings for Belift Lab and Source Music vs MHJ damages cases, dismissal of former ADOR VP's workplace harassment case against HYBE/ADOR, ADOR's injunction to halt NewJeans ad deals, and NewJeans rebranding to NJZ.

• NINETEEN and TWENTY and TWENTY ONE contain the new Instagram account of NewJeans' parents, workplace harassment accusations against HYBE/ADOR executives cleared, the granting of ADOR's provisional injunction against NewJeans independent activities along with group's appeal/objection, the shareholder agreement termination and exercising put/call options cases being run jointly, and the 1st contract validity hearing between ADOR/NewJeans.

• TWENTY TWO and TWENTY THREE and TWENTY FOUR contain ADOR's 'indirect enforcement' request by the court, the rejection of NewJeans' appeal/objection to the injunction, the suspicion clearance for Min Hee Jin regarding occupational breach of trust accusations by HYBE and HYBE's appeal, the fine against MHJ upheld in Employee B's case against her for workplace bullying, MHJ's new agency 'ooak', the contract validity verdict in favor of ADOR and NewJeans' contracts maintained, MHJ's lawsuit against former HYBE CEO/CCO dismissed with HYBE's audit determined legal, and NJ members Haerin and Hyein committing to return to ADOR with Minji, Hanni, and Danielle stating intention to follow soon after.

MEGATHREAD TWENTY FIVE covered mid-November to the end of 2025.

• Contains: NewJeans choosing to not appeal the contract validity verdict, the series of hearings for cases between HYBE, Source Music, and Belift Lab against Min Hee Jin, Belift Lab filing a lawsuit against Team Bunnies, ADOR's statement that Hanni had committed to staying with ADOR, that Danielle's contract had been terminated and ADOR would pursue legal action against a member of her family, and that Minji was still in ongoing talks regarding her potential return to working with the agency.

Articles / Timeline

• twiddling thumbs waiting for an update

Looking Ahead:

• January 9: Next hearing for Belift Lab vs. MHJ

• January 13: ADOR vs. Dolphiners Group (potential verdict)

• January 15: HYBE vs. MHJ (final hearing)

• January 16: Source Music vs. MHJ (potential verdict, may be delayed)

• February 12: HYBE vs MHJ (potential verdict)

Ongoing Legal Complaints/Investigations:

• HYBE's report to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) regarding potential insider trading by ADOR management (Korea JoongAng)

• Belift Lab's complaint against Min Hee Jin for defamation (Soompi) and additionally for business interference (The Korea Herald)

• SOURCE MUSIC's lawsuit against Min Hee Jin for damages in regards to the disruption of business/defamation of LE SSERAFIM (Korea JoongAng) and additionally regarding alleged false claims by MHJ for the launch strategy of N Team/NewJeans (Soompi)

• British band Shakatak's plagiarism claim against NewJeans' 'Bubble Gum' (Yonhap)

• MV Director Shin Woo Seok filed a lawsuit against ADOR CEO Kim Joo Young and ADOR VP Lee Do Kyung for defamation. (Korea JoongAng)

• Belift Lab's lawsuit against Team Bunnies. (The Korea Herald)

Link back to MEGATHREADS 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – 20 – 21 – 22 – 23 – 24 – 25

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