NewJeans’ Minji vents frustration at 'unnecessary trouble' in the ongoing ADOR-HYBE dispute

Minji of NewJeans expressed her frustration that "nothing has been solved" regarding the ongoing conflicts within her agency, ADOR, in her first official statement addressing the dispute between the company's former CEO, Min Hee-jin, and HYBE.

Minji of NewJeans makes a cheek heart at an event at the Hyundai Department Store Duty Free in Jung District, central Seoul, on Aug. 1. [NEWS1]

Minji of NewJeans expressed her frustration that "nothing has been solved" regarding the ongoing conflicts within her agency, ADOR, in her first official statement addressing the dispute between the company's former CEO, Min Hee-jin, and HYBE.

“I was so frustrated with myself for not being able to solve anything,” Minji said on Phoning, a mobile app tailored for NewJeans, on Monday night. “I am so sorry that we’re going through this unnecessary trouble when there’s already not enough time in the day to focus on the good things.”

Minji’s message follows ADOR's decision to remove Min Hee-jin from her position as CEO and appoint Kim Ju-young as her successor on Aug. 27.

While ADOR stated that Min would remain a staff member and retain her position on the company’s board of directors, Min’s legal team announced last Friday that she would not accept the work delegation contract, arguing that it contained “toxic clauses” that could allow her to be “excluded from the job at any time for any reason.”

NewJeans members were mentioned multiple times during the back-and-forth between Min and HYBE, but they had kept silent on the issue, except for a letter of plea submitted to the court on May 18 regarding Min's request for an injunction against HYBE's intention to exercise its rights as the majority shareholder of ADOR.

The NewJeans members and their parents had been advocating for Min in the conflict.

"I wanted to come here and tell the Bunnies that everything is OK, but I just couldn't this time," Minji continued in her online letter.

“As I’m writing this now, just like yesterday, there’s nothing I can do, and nothing has been resolved,” she said, addressing fans. “I don’t know how long these anxious days will last, and maybe I am selfish to say this, but I want us and the Bunnies to no longer endure these hard times.”

Min claimed that her removal from the CEO post contradicts the shareholders' contract she signed with HYBE, but did not specify whether she will pursue legal action regarding the decision.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]