On January 28, Min Hee‑jin’s legal representative, Attorney Kim Sun‑woong of law firm Jiam, held the third press conference in Seoul, though Min herself did not appear.
Her first press conference, held in April 2024, followed allegations that she attempted to seize management control of ADOR. In that lengthy, emotional session, Min spoke directly to reporters for more than two hours, vehemently rejecting the claims and emphasizing her close relationship with NewJeans members and their families. Her raw emotions, unfiltered language, and even profanity directed at HYBE executives became viral talking points, painting her as defiant and unapologetically outspoken.
The second press conference took place about a month later, after ADOR’s board confirmed she would remain CEO temporarily, even as insiders moved to remove her. Min expressed her sense of betrayal, saying she believed HYBE broke trust first and that she wanted to negotiate with the company despite holding only 18% of the shares. Legal conflict continued, however, and Min eventually stepped down as ADOR CEO in August before resigning from the board in October.
The third press conference marked a stark departure from earlier themes of personal grievance and corporate conflict, instead centering on explosive allegations involving certain NewJeans members’ families. Min’s team claimed she had no involvement in tampering, asserting instead that the so‑called NewJeans tampering controversy was actually driven by external forces specifically, the family of one NewJeans member working with unidentified market manipulation actors. They argued that Min’s lack of early response stemmed from a desire to protect NewJeans members and their reputations.
Attorney Kim further claimed that attempts to exploit family members in shareholder lawsuits have emerged, and that evidence suggests outside stock market actors used the tampering narrative to benefit themselves. This line of argument, advanced at the press event, implicitly shifted significant blame toward a member’s family, something few expected from Min’s previous defenses.
Min’s legal team described the tampering reports as part of a broader “fraud against the public” orchestrated by outside parties in collusion with a NewJeans member’s relative—assertions that have prompted controversy and debate regarding fairness and strategy. Her representatives maintained that Min only spoke out now because she wanted to “protect the members and their families,” framing her delayed response as an act of loyalty rather than self‑interest.
Despite these emphatic claims, many observers have criticized the third press conference as effectively turning into an attack on NewJeans and their relatives, rather than clarifying Min’s own position. Questions remain over whether this approach will help her legal and public relations battles or further complicate matters.
With so much at stake and public sentiment sharply divided, Min Hee‑jin’s latest press strategy continues to attract attention and controversy as the story unfolds.
Sources: Nate
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