NewJeans' fans send letter to HYBE, ADOR to reappoint Min Hee-jin as CEO

NewJeans' fans sent an official letter demanding HYBE and ADOR to reappoint Min Hee-jin as CEO until November 2026.

Girl group NewJeans at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Aug. 3 [NEWS1]

NewJeans' fans sent an official letter demanding HYBE and ADOR to reappoint Min Hee-jin as CEO until November 2026.

“We believe that the success NewJeans has achieved in such a short period was made possible through the close synergy between management and production, and this has been proven by the results," the letter read.

The letter was signed by 1,445 people who identified themselves as NewJeans fans and was addressed to the new ADOR CEO Kim Ju-young and three other board members — Lee Kyung-jun, Lee Do-kyung and Kim Hak-ja — as well as Lee Jae-sang, who was newly appointed as HYBE CEO.

"We are concerned about any changes or damages to the system and personnel structure of ADOR, which were established under the leadership of former CEO Min Hee-jin to focus on the growth and support of NewJeans," the letter read.

Fans criticized the management shake-up, saying that it happened at “a critical time for NewJeans, which is in its third year in the music industry.”

“With upcoming plans for a follow-up album in the second half of the year and preparations for a world tour next year, the decision to remove Min Hee-jin — whose capabilities have been proven — and appoint Kim Ju-young, who lacks experience in the entertainment industry and has no established management track record, makes no sense,” the letter said.

Fans further demanded that HYBE and ADOR prioritize members' opinions in all matters related to NewJeans, guarantee Min's term until November 2026 following the shareholders' agreement and take legal action against defamation, insult, and leakage of personal information against NewJeans members.

On Aug. 27, ADOR removed Min from her position as CEO and appointed Kim Ju-young to the position.

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.”

Meanwhile, NewJeans members have expressed their concerns and difficulties regarding Min's dismissal through Phoning, a fan communication app tailored for the girl group.

“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.

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