K-Pop Chaos: HYBE and ADOR in a Public Spat
Shocking news in the K-Pop world. Thanks to HYBE, the agency of K-pop superstars BTS, they asked Min Hee-jin to resign as ADOR’s CEO. Moreover, ADOR oversees a new girl group, New Jeans. It was scandalous after a probe and conflicting reports over a power battle.
HYBE has reportedly sent a letter demanding Min Heejin to resign from ADOR. PIC.TWITTER.COM/R6KVHWRCKB
— Pop Base (@PopBase) APRIL 22, 2024
And then the rumors started. Someone took and threw on the network confidential data from the company where Min Hee-jin works. If the information found is correct, it may be unsafe for the independence of the agency. The Korean forum scored a flurry of over 70,000 views and even more than 1k comments per two hours. Many fans were upset at Min Hee-jin and her meaning. Meaning she allowed them to use by taking new jeans from HYBE. Now the promising girl group has an unknown future. Fans do not understand who will enlighten them without a head with Min Hee-jin’s vision.
HYBE’s reaction was swift and firm. First, they checked the controlling management of ADOR. Next, they arranged a shareholders’ gathering. This caused an uproar in the industry. The corporation made its intentions clear: ADOR would be held accountable for attempting to seize influence. Moreover, they wanted to appoint more HYBE directors to the subsidiary’s board.
One has to know the power scales. Min Hee-jin created ADOR in 2021. She is a well-known producer who helped to create iconic groups such as Girls’ Generation and EXO under the label ‘SM Entertainment.’ ADOR operates as a subsidiary of HYBE. While a block of 20% of the shares belong to Min Hee-jin and some other ADOR executives. HYBE has 80 percent ownership and therefore direct control.
And now, Min Hee-jin’s legacy is open to entire debate. Fans once held her in the highest regard and now double-check their values. The rest of the controversy rages on the internet – numerous netizens examine the smallest detail. We may only wait to see what happens to Min Hee-jin and New Jeans.
It is clear that the situation proves the point. The public will need transparency and responsibility; fans and stewards will expect their leaders to step in as beacons. The smallest failure may have much graver outcomes. It is unclear where ADOR may go from now or what New Jeans’s destiny is, yet in a couple of days, the whole landscape of K-Pop has shifted dramatically.
