How can NewJeans avoid the stigma of being “betrayal idols”?

ADOR made the first move, claiming they officially announced their position after thorough discussions with NewJeans members and legal representatives. This suggests that NewJeans may side with ADOR.

However, public opinion and media perception towards ADOR are unfavorable. ADOR denied attempting improper independence, but suspicions arose when evidence suggesting otherwise was found on confiscated devices. They then attributed the issue to A, a member of ADOR’s management, as a “personal indiscretion”.

Additionally, ADOR emphasized that HYBE’s new girl group ILLIT copying NewJeans’ concept is a problem. ADOR officially raised this issue, but HYBE retaliated by suddenly informing ADOR of the suspension and dismissal process against CEO Min Hee-jin. They accused Min Hee-jin of significantly damaging ADOR’s corporate value and attempting to seize their management rights.

However, as a result of Munhwa Ilbo’s confirmation, HYBE sent a response to ADOR’s inquiries via email, indicating receipt. This undermines ADOR’s argument. Yet, ADOR has not provided further clarification. In a situation of sharp confrontation, even small cracks can undermine the entire argument. If doubts about the truthfulness of ADOR’s claims grow, the credibility of their entire argument will diminish.

Now it’s NewJeans’ turn to choose. It’s possible they had “sufficient discussions” with ADOR as claimed. But as young artists, the information NewJeans gets is limited. However, the recent developments provide an opportunity for NewJeans and their families to better understand the situation.

Strictly speaking, NewJeans practically has no “choice”. They are under contract with ADOR. 80% of ADOR’s shares are held by HYBE. This means that HYBE holds the dominant rights over NewJeans’ intellectual property (IP). NewJeans does not have the right to follow Min Hee-jin. They are assets of ADOR, and of course, HYBE.

If the logic is “without Min Hee-jin, there’s no one else”, then the only card they can play is to seek an injunction to suspend the effectiveness of the exclusive contract. There’s also a possibility of claiming “breach of trust” and “relationship breakdown” while observing ILLIT’s concept copying and the conflict between HYBE and ADOR. However, as seen in the Fifty Fifty incident last year, groundless injunction requests are likely to be rejected. Furthermore, engaging in such a fight may result in NewJeans being branded as “traitors”.

Of course, amidst HYBE and ADOR’s confrontation, NewJeans could be seen as the biggest victim. With their comeback in May approaching, the company is in disarray. The position of Min Hee-jin, who has been with them since debut, is also in jeopardy.

To break free from the stigma of being “traitors”, it is right for NewJeans to strictly maintain neutrality and go with the flow. While members may have emotional fluctuations, the NewJeans IP ultimately moves according to the company’s logic and the shareholding relationship. Acting rashly under emotional pressure could lead to a fate similar to the three former members of Fifty Fifty, who received a termination notice and faced a hefty damages lawsuit. An even greater calamity would be the public’s indifference and criticism.

Let’s be rational. Min Hee-jin was not the one who discovered NewJeans; they were selected by SOURCE MUSIC, another label under HYBE. Until the latter half of 2021, all five members underwent training at SOURCE MUSIC before being transferred to ADOR. NewJeans members themselves would know this best. In other words, NewJeans is not an IP solely created by Min Hee-jin’s capabilities but is the product of HYBE.

While NewJeans members may feel upset about the controversy regarding ILLIT’s concept copying, they should understand how ambiguous the claim of “concept copying” can be. The Korea Copyright Commission also finds it difficult to consider something as plagiarism solely based on overlapping ideas or concepts. Going further back, the innocent concept of girl groups was pioneered by SES. It is by no means exclusive to NewJeans.

Source: Naver