PDOGG, SLOW RABBIT, BANG SI HYUK & Others Submitted Petition (Patreon)

SOURCE: https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/003/0012566256

While Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, the agency behind the girl group New Jeans, is in conflict with HYBE, ADOR's parent company, numerous leading K-pop producers, including HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, have reportedly submitted petitions criticizing CEO Min.

According to sources in the legal and music industries, on the 24th, Chairman Bang, along with Master Professional (MP) Han Seong-soo of Pledis, who made Seventeen a record-breaking group with annual album sales of 16 million copies, and MP So Seong-jin of Source Music, who produced LE SSERAFIM, submitted a petition to the court.

SourceMusic CEO So Seong-jin (top left, clockwise), Pdogg, Pledis CEO Han Seong-soo, director Kim Seong-hyeon, and director Son Seong-deuk

Additionally, senior producer Pdog from Big Hit Music, who helped shape BTS's musical style, performance director Son Seong-deuk, BTS and  LE SSERAFIM's creative director Kim Seong-hyun, and Tomorrow by Together (TXT) producer Slow Rabbit also submitted petitions.

Chairman Bang's petition, partially revealed in a previous injunction hearing, accused CEO Min of 'personal malice' and emphasized the need for a proper precedent to establish a system for creators and advance the entire K-pop industry.

The producers' petition, confirmed this time, stressed the importance of the multi-label system, which has driven K-pop's growth, and the need to protect it. They expressed concerns that the industry's foundation should not be shaken by one person's pursuit of private interests.

The list of those who submitted the petition suggests a unified stance among producers under HYBE. However, these individuals have been influential figures in the music industry for up to 20 years, nurturing artists with their own philosophies long before joining HYBE.

An industry official stated, "CEO Min has not only caused fatigue and dislike for K-pop among the public and fandom but also weakened investment sentiment in K-pop. She has disrupted the balance between effort and reward, depriving producers, artists, and other industry workers of their core motivations."

On the same day, 10,000 New Jeans fans (Bunnies) submitted a petition in support of CEO Min. They acknowledged her achievements with New Jeans and expressed their desire to maintain a close relationship with the group, believing this would best support the group's future growth.

The extraordinary general shareholders' meeting of ADOR, scheduled for the 31st, is expected to be a decisive moment for CEO Min. HYBE, which owns 80% of ADOR's shares, is expected to dismiss CEO Min if the meeting proceeds. ADOR would then need to restart with a new system, as HYBE has already lined up a new Board of Directors for ADOR.

However, CEO Min has filed a request for a provisional injunction against HYBE to ban the exercise of voting rights. If the court upholds her request, she can remain as CEO of ADOR for now. The court's decision on this injunction is expected just before the shareholders' meeting.