The Min Hee-jin vs. Hybe drama has just escalated.
K-pop star Hanni has announced she will testify at the South Korean National Assembly’s Environment and Labour Committee hearing on workplace harassment, scheduled for 25 October. The 20-year-old Vietnamese-Australian idol shared this news with fans via Phoning, NewJeans’ online platform, on 9 October.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, Hanni said, “I’ve decided, I’m going to the National Assembly for the hearing. I’ll go alone.” She reassured fans, saying, “Don’t worry. I’m doing this for myself, my members, and for Bunnies… I’m not afraid. I want to go.”
Bunnies is the official fandom name for NewJeans
The hearing aims to tackle bullying and harassment in the entertainment industry.
Though she isn’t required to appear, Hanni was invited as a reference witness by the committee chairman.
After careful thought, she chose to participate, seeing it as an opportunity to learn. Ms Kim Ju-young, CEO of NewJeans’ label Ador, was also summoned as an official witness but hasn’t confirmed her attendance.
So, what sparked this?
The Alleged Mistreatment
Hanni’s decision comes after a controversy involving a live stream that NewJeans held on 11 September without management’s consent.
During the stream, the group urged Hybe—the K-pop giant that owns Ador—to reinstate their music producer Min Hee-jin as CEO of Ador, following her dismissal on 27 August.
In that same live stream, Hanni recounted a disturbing incident where she felt mistreated by Hybe staff. She described greeting another K-pop group under Hybe in a shared building, only to overhear their manager instructing them to ignore her.
“To say that in front of me, knowing full well that I can hear it—why do I have to go through something like that? I don’t understand. I’m speechless,” she said.
While she didn’t name the group, media reports pointed to Illit, a rookie girl group under Hybe’s subsidiary Belift Lab.
NewJeans’ members and their parents requested CCTV footage of the incident, but Hybe claimed it had been deleted, denying Hanni’s allegations. The live stream has since been deleted.
On 7 October, Belift Lab released a statement rejecting Hanni’s allegations, calling them “baseless accusations.” The agency also criticized the decision to summon Hanni, saying, “Despite providing all necessary explanations, new and unverifiable claims are being made. This raises concerns that an event that never occurred is being dragged into a parliamentary audit due to ulterior motives.”
Whatever the motives may be, if you’re in the mood for a new K-drama, this real-life saga might be the one to watch.
The Min Hee-jin vs. Hybe Dispute
The incident between HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-Jin originated in 2021 when HYBE established subsidiary label ADOR with Min as CEO, with HYBE owning 80% of the company.
Under Min’s creative direction, ADOR launched the hugely successful girl group NewJeans in 2022.
However, tensions surfaced in April 2024 when HYBE accused Min of plotting to seize control of ADOR and break away from the parent company.
Min has also reportedly accused HYBE of copying NewJeans’ concept such as hair and makeup styles, outfits, choreographies and whatnot, for another girl group.
HYBE filed a criminal complaint against Min for breach of trust and accused her of being inappropriately “coached” by a shaman on management matters.
Min denied the allegations in a tearful press conference, arguing it would be “unimaginable” for her to attempt a takeover given HYBE’s majority stake.
She also filed police reports against HYBE executives, accusing them of defamation and leaking her private messages.
HYBE subsidiaries like BELIFT LAB and Source Music also filed criminal complaints and lawsuits against Min for defamation and obstruction of business over her comments about their groups.
In May, a court granted an injunction filed by Min, blocking her dismissal as CEO by HYBE. The court recognized Min’s attempt to gain independence from HYBE but ruled she did not breach trust against ADOR.
The court also found Min’s plagiarism concerns about HYBE’s new girl group were “legitimate.” Despite this ruling, ADOR’s board voted to replace Min Hee Jin as CEO with Kim Ju-young. Min remains an internal director to oversee NewJeans’ production but no longer serves as CEO.
Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:
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