In an official statement released on the 30th, the NewJeans fan group Team Bunnies announced, “We are officially protesting to HYBE regarding the negative media manipulation against NewJeans and are sending a protest letter demanding correction.” It is reported that over 5,000 NewJeans fans have signed this letter.
Earlier, on the 25th, during CBS Radio’s “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show,” journalist Jang Hyung-woo from the Seoul Shinmun claimed that a PR representative from HYBE belittled NewJeans’ achievements in Japan and alleged that “the members were gaslighted by former CEO Min Hee-jin,” while releasing recorded transcripts. In response, HYBE rebutted, stating, “These are false claims, and the content was released without the representative’s consent. We will respond severely.”
Team Bunnies cited this incident as the background for their protest letter, stating, “We demand CEO Ju Young Kim take official action within HYBE to protect the value of NewJeans,” and reiterated their call for Min Hee-jin’s reinstatement and the normalization of ADOR to allow NewJeans to engage in regular activities.
Additionally, Team Bunnies highlighted that the plans for fan meetings and subsequent album production, which were previously scheduled by NewJeans and Min Hee-jin, have been halted since Kim took over as CEO of ADOR. They asserted, “The financial loss that ADOR may incur could reach hundreds of billions. This could constitute an act of embezzlement.” They emphasized the critical importance of this time for NewJeans, who are currently in their third year since debut. They warned that if fans’ opinions continue to be disregarded and no action is taken, they could take legal action against CEO Kim for embezzlement and other charges.
Meanwhile, HYBE and former CEO Min Hee-jin have been in a tense standoff for several months. On the 11th, NewJeans requested Min Hee-jin’s return during an emergency live broadcast on YouTube, but on the 25th, HYBE stated, “We have resolved to convene an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to reappoint Min Hee-jin as an internal director, but we have decided not to accept her return as CEO.”
