NewJeans’ agency head reportedly demands terminating exclusive contracts with label HYBE amid worsening conflict (VIDEO)

Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — Korean music label ADOR chief executive officer Min Hee-jin music label reportedly asked parent company HYBE to terminate the exclusive contracts of members of popular K-Pop girl group NewJeans.

Sources from the music industry revealed that Min asked HYBE authority to terminate exclusive contracts without the approval of the board of directors, reported Yoonhap News Agency.

Min is the creative director of the popular NewJeans, who are signed under ADOR, which is a subsidiary label of HYBE.

HYBE is a major K-Pop music label that owns multiple smaller labels, which originated from BigHit Music who are responsible for K-Pop boyband, BTS

If Min gains authority to terminate the contracts, HYBE will not be able to prevent the NewJeans members from leaving the subsidiary.

Currently, HYBE owns 80 per cent of ADOR’s shares which allows them to hold shareholder meetings to decide the status of their artists.

The move comes after revisions of the shareholders’ current contracts reached a stalemate in February due to ‘unreasonable’ requests from Min.

The creative director wanted to increase her put-back options from 13 to 30 per cent, which would allow her to buy ADOR’s shares.

This escalated the ongoing in-fighting between ADOR and HYBE over NewJeans, which began on April 22 when Min and her ADOR executives were accused of taking over HYBE’s majority shares.

HYBE called for an audit of ADOR and suspended Min from her duties, reportedly preparing to fire her.

Min denied HYBE’s claims and began to accuse them of being ‘unfavourable’ to NewJeans during their debut in a dramatic two-hour long emergency press conference on April 25.

During the press conference, Min showed pictures of NewJeans and HYBE’s latest girl group ILLIT under subsidiary Belift Lab and drew comparisons accusing them of copying NewJeans concepts.

Amidst the ongoing legal battle, NewJeans made a comeback with the music video of their single Bubble Gum on April 26.

The group is set to release another single How Sweet on May 24 and their Japanese debut Supernatural on June 21.

NewJeans consists of members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein and has become one of the most popular K-Pop girl groups recently with their hit singles OMG, Ditto, and Super Shy.