Former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin has once again asserted that HYBE pushed girl group ILLIT to surpass NewJeans’ achievements.
On September 11, Min appeared in person at the final hearing of her lawsuit against HYBE over a put option stock transaction, held at the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 31 with Chief Judge Nam In Soo presiding. During the session, Min stated, “ILLIT increased its sales to break NewJeans’ records.”
Min made the remark after hearing testimony from HYBE’s Chief Legal Officer Jung Jin Soo. “The reason I came today was to speak fairly, but I heard so many lies that I thought it would have been a huge problem if I hadn’t shown up,” she said.
Min further accused HYBE of perjury, arguing that the company falsely claimed it had attempted to resolve matters despite not lifting her non-compete clause. She once again stressed her belief that ILLIT was used to undercut NewJeans.
“If you push even a single album, it is still pushing,” Min explained. “The reason it is called pushing is because albums are sent out to distributors to secure first-week sales records. If there is concern that another team will not be able to break a record within a week, then bulk buying is done, which is what we call pushing.”
She added: “Even one album can take away another’s No.1. But in this case, it was not about 80,000 copies as a number. It is about how ILLIT’s sales suddenly surged on the final day of the first week, raising suspicions that they were driven to surpass NewJeans’ records.”
Previously revealed KakaoTalk messages show Min discussing media strategies and competition with HYBE.
On February 4, 2024, she wrote: “In the end, we will have to use the media. When we fight HYBE, we need to be prepared for how to break through.”
On March 15, 2024, she messaged: “Would you give NewJeans 800 billion KRW (about $575 million)? If there are strong negotiation materials, it is possible. But these strange conditions are nothing but absurd tricks.”
And on April 20, 2024, Min said: “A media offensive against HYBE, this has to be made public on a large scale. If we do this, HYBE will be thrown into chaos, unable to control the narrative.”
These messages, combined with her in-court statements, are fueling ongoing controversy over alleged internal sabotage and manipulation surrounding ILLIT and NewJeans.
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