Is Ador moving to isolate Min Hee-jin?
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Ador may be taking steps to distance NewJeans from the influence of former CEO Min Hee-jin, as her close associate and director behind the music videos for “ETA” and “Ditto,” Shin Woo-seok, announced Monday that he would cease collaboration with the group.
In May, Shin had submitted a petition opposing Min's dismissal as Ador's CEO.
Shin revealed that the Hybe-owned label recently requested that he remove all NewJeans-related content from his production company Dolphiners Films’ social media accounts.
Additionally, he was asked to take down material related to the group from the company’s unofficial YouTube channel, “Ban Heesoo,” which explores the NewJeans universe. All related posts have since been removed.
"It seems there has been a shift in Ador's policies following the change in management. At Ador's request, all NewJeans music videos and related content produced by Dolphiners Films, as well as future releases, can no longer be made public," Shin said on his Instagram account.
“Effective today, it appears that collaboration between Dolphiners Films and Ador will no longer be possible.”
In response, Ador stated that the label only asked Shin to remove the “ETA” music video director's cut, which Dolphiners Films uploaded on its unofficial YouTube channel. It included edits that had a sponsor had previously taken issue with, and was posted without prior consultation or approval, Ador claimed.
“The ‘ETA’ music video and any related edits should be posted exclusively on the company’s official channels to protect the rights of the artists,” Ador said in a statement issued Tuesday.
The label further claimed that the request to remove the “specific director's cut video” from Shin’s channel was made not by Ador, but by one of its sponsors. The sponsor is thought to be Apple, as the video explicitly states that NewJeans’ “ETA” music video was shot using an iPhone 14 Pro.
However, the timing of Ador's request has fueled speculation that the label is deliberately distancing NewJeans from Min's influence, especially since it came only a week after her dismissal as CEO.
Ador argued that it recently discovered significant contract violations related to the “ETA” music video, which had not been fully understood when Min was CEO.
“We couldn’t address this issue earlier because we hadn't fully grasped the situation (during Min's leadership). All music labels under Hybe are managed independently without interference from the parent company, and Min handled the company’s business in a chaotic and unprofessional manner. It was only after our new CEO, Kim Ju-young, took over that these facts were uncovered,” an Ador official told The Korea Herald on Tuesday.
Min’s PR agency, Macoll Consulting Group, declined to comment, stating that the former Ador CEO has yet to address the issue.
Meanwhile, NewJeans broke their silence on the issue Monday, sharing their struggles with fans online and expressing their concerns about the band’s uncertain future without Min.
"I wanted to tell the many Bunnies who came to check on me and offer comfort that I was okay, but this time I just couldn’t find the strength to do so. I felt so sorry that we had to go through such unnecessary hardships when even one day isn't enough to talk about all the good things. I was frustrated with myself for not being able to resolve anything," member Minji shared on "Phoning," the group's dedicated mobile app for fans.
Another member, Danielle, added, "Since the CEO was dismissed, things have been tough in many ways, and we've had a lot of worries. For a time, I was mentally overwhelmed and felt very anxious."
By Kim Jae-heun(jaaykim@heraldcorp.com)
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