Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin allegedly instructed a subordinate to find faults in multiple popular HYBE artists, according to text messages disclosed in a court ruling.
Based on the first-instance judgment dated October 30, concerning the lawsuit filed by ADOR to verify the validity of exclusive contracts with the five members of NewJeans, evidence was submitted showing Min directing an employee to identify any grounds be it obstruction of business, violations of the Fair Trade Act or Commercial Law, or even breach of duty to file potential legal claims.
In the captured messages, Min reportedly wrote, “See if we can sue them for obstruction of business, find anything Fair Trade Act, Commercial Law, breach of duty, anything. Let’s look for more evidence wherever we can find it. This is your only task.” She emphasized using Slack, a corporate messenger platform used internally by HYBE, to dig for information.
The court document also revealed that Min specifically named several HYBE artists and repeatedly urged her staff to identify problematic issues. One message allegedly read, “You did well, but try to find something more decisive. The more, the better.”
She further stated, “You found this much on Slack there must be more about [group names redacted]. We can’t delete the past Slack logs.”
The ruling interpreted these messages as part of a premeditated strategy by Min to generate negative public sentiment against both ADOR’s parent company HYBE and its artists. The court noted, “The defendants’ (NewJeans members) claims of ADOR breaching its obligations appear to stem from Min Hee-jin’s prior efforts to examine internal records between HYBE, ADOR, and the NewJeans members, with the intent of fostering public backlash and preparing for litigation.”
This court ruling, which resulted in ADOR’s legal victory, is also publicly accessible via South Korea’s largest legal platform, LBOX.
Sources: Daum