A former lawyer from Korea's top law firm, Kim & Chang, has openly voiced his criticisms of HYBE.
On September 15, the YouTube channel 'Jingyeokui Lawyer Go' discussed several hot topics, including NewJeans' recent emergency live broadcast, Min Hee Jin's shareholders meeting, and the provisional injunction regarding her reappointment to the board of directors. During the broadcast, Lawyer Go introduced a comment left on one of his previous videos.
The commenter, identified as 'A,' wrote, "Leaving ungrateful people unchecked would be a greater risk for HYBE. Since NewJeans is just one popular product in a multi-label company, I believe the traitors should be eliminated, and those who support them should be rooted out completely."
Lawyer Go read the comment aloud to his viewers and responded, "The real question is whether HYBE can truly grow and evolve into a great company with the mindset of treating artists as mere products."
He further added, "What I consider common sense appears to be the opposite for many, who see it as natural for HYBE to treat its artists as nothing more than popular products. These people also believe that rooting out anyone supporting a 'traitor' is justified."
In the video, Lawyer Go also predicted that NewJeans' emergency live broadcast could have an impact in court. He remarked, "NewJeans might lose more than they gain by openly criticizing HYBE, but the fact that they acted this way shows their sincerity, which could hold weight in court."
Earlier, on September 11, NewJeans members held a YouTube live broadcast, revealing they had been ostracized by HYBE. They issued an ultimatum, demanding the return of former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin by September 25.
With public backing from the NewJeans members, Min Hee Jin filed a petition on September 13 with the Seoul Central District Court for a "provisional injunction to convene an extraordinary shareholders meeting and reappoint her as a director of ADOR."
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