HYBE accused of leaking former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin’s private messages to the media.
On September 25th, "Kim Hyun Jung’s News Show" on CBS Radio featured a phone interview with Seoul Shinmun reporter Jang Hyung Woo.
During the interview, Jang revealed that HYBE’s PR representative downplayed NewJeans’ achievements in Japan and claimed that the group’s members had been gaslighted by former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. Jang stated, “At first, I thought it was just a personal deviation by the PR representative. But later, the contents of our conversation were actually published in articles.”
He continued, “In May, HYBE’s PR representative and the head of PR came to my company and showed me private KakaoTalk messages between Min Hee Jin and others. These later appeared in online media outlets, so it can’t be seen as just an individual’s actions.”
Jang also shared part of his conversation with the PR team. In the recording, the PR representative is heard saying, “It seems like the manager at Seoul Shinmun hates us. We need something to change his mind. Both you and we are tired. Let’s set a date to meet. We need to win him over quickly.”
When host Kim Hyun Jung asked what this meant, Jang explained, “The implication was that they would secure advertising with my company in exchange for more favorable reporting for HYBE. They even suggested going golfing with the manager. But my manager rejected it, saying it was inappropriate.”
In response, HYBE stated to Kim Hyun Jung’s News Show, “We are doing our best to promote ADOR and NewJeans albums.”
SEE ALSO: How K-netizens are reacting to Min Hee Jin leaving ADOR