Betrayal, plagiarism & more: The controversy involving NewJeans band rocking the K-pop world

The K-pop world has been rocked by a controversy involving Hybe and its subsidiary label Ador for weeks. Allegations of plagiarism, mistreatment and chart rigging have hooked the public in South Korea and beyond.

NewJeans, a popular girl group, is at the centre of it all. The public feud between Hybe, the entertainment giant behind BTS, and the head of its subsidiary music label Ador is headed to court.

But what happened? Let’s find out.

How the controversy started

It all began on 22 April when Hybe, South Korea’s largest music firm, said it was launching an audit on Ador and its executives, including CEO Min Hee-jin. The entertainment giant also asked her to step down, as per the BBC report.

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Founded in 2021 as an independent label, Ador manages the popular girl group NewJeans.

Hybe accused Min of illegally trying to take control of Ador, along with leaking confidential information to lure investors, according to BBC.

While Hybe has an 80 per cent stake in Ador, Min owns 18 per cent of the label.

On 25 April, Hybe filed a police complaint against Min, accusing her of trying to break away from the company to independently manage NewJeans.

Min denied all allegations, saying Hybe was trying to “dismiss” her as she had complained that the entertainment giant-backed another girl group, ILLIT, was allegedly copying the appearance, music and choreography of NewJeans, reported Forbes.

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Hybe said it would report Min to the police for “a breach of trust and other related allegations”. The company has filed a police complaint.

‘Betrayed by Hybe’

Tensions peaked as Min, 44, addressed a press conference on 25 April.

She refuted Hybe’s allegations and reiterated her accusations. Min also broke down several times during the conference.

She shared screenshots of chats with Hybe’s Bang Si-hyuk, suggesting they were proof of a stressful work environment, reported New York Times (NYT).

Min, who is the creative director behind NewJeans, called Hybe’s leaders, including its chairman Bang, “middle-aged jerks”, as per AFP. 

“I feel betrayed by Hybe… they used me until I was no longer of use to them,” she reportedly said.

Min also claimed she had not been compensated fairly, as per NYT.

“All I care about is NewJeans,” she said in the two-hour press conference, which gained much traction.

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What’s the latest?

After Min’s conference, rumours about Hybe artists, chart-rigging and shamanism have surfaced on the internet, noted NYT. 

Hybe’s shares fell amid the controversy, wiping hundreds of millions of dollars from its market value.

As per a report in The Korea Times, an email that Min sent to Hybe on 3 April has come to light. It includes messages from the parents of the five NewJeans members — Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyei. They have accused Hybe of mistreating NewJeans, with its chairman Bang ignoring the members’ greetings.

The parents also flagged concerns about the similarities between the concept, styling, and choreography of NewJeans and Hybe’s other subsidiary Belift Lab’s group ILLIT.

According to The Korea Times newspaper, Hybe dismissed the allegations in a statement, saying, “We already replied on 16 April that there was no plagiarism. It is also not true that our mistreatment prompted the ongoing situation. We feel very sorry that Min is engaging the artists and their families in a fight for her own greed.”

The newspaper report also mentioned that Min is expected to be removed from Ador. A shareholders meeting is set to take place on 31 May. Min has filed an injunction against Hybe to restrict its actions and if this is granted, Hybe would not be able to fire her immediately, reported The Korea Times.

Fans’ reaction to the saga

The reaction of K-pop fans to the ugly public spat has been mixed. While some support Min, others have thrown their weight behind Hybe.

Referring to Min, Andrew Eungi Kim, a professor at Korea University, told NYT, “She’s like a powerless visionary who is fighting against a giant corporation”.

Some are not sure who to side with in this battle.

“At first, my friends and I had a keen interest in their conflict, but we now have no idea what is going on. They argue over different issues every day and that confuses me. Now, I cannot tell who is good and who is not,” a K-pop fan in her 20s told The Korea Times.

Fans are also concerned about their NewJeans idols aged between 16 and 20.

“I love you, NewJeans. Please don’t follow Min Hee-jin and make your comeback smoothly,” a user wrote on social media.

Many people have also resonated with the feud, seeing it as an instance of workplace conflict including gender dynamics, reported BBC.

“Women who have truly worked (hard) and experienced being undermined by men, along with the dirty side of office politics, could never speak ill of Min Hee-jin,” a South Korean woman wrote on X, as per AFP. 

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What next?

A legal battle is likely to play out between the Ador CEO and Hybe.

“It’s hard to predict what will happen at this point. In the end, this issue between Hybe and Ador will be a learning opportunity for other agencies to learn how to effectively manage their companies,” Lee Gyu Tag, a professor of cultural studies and anthropology at George Mason University’s Korea branch, told NYT.

Meanwhile, fans can take a breath of relief as it appears the dispute has not affected the work of NewJeans, which will release their new double single How Sweet later in May.

With inputs from agencies