HYBE's New CEO Lee Jae-sang Responds to NewJeans' Ultimatum with Calm Resolve

HYBE's newly appointed CEO, Lee Jae-sang, has addressed the public demands made by the group NewJeans, stating that he will respond calmly and in accordance with principles.

On the morning of the 12th, the appointment of Lee Jae-sang as CEO was approved as originally proposed during HYBE's extraordinary general meeting of shareholders.

Lee Jae-sang has previously held positions such as Head of Marketing and Advertising at Hyundai Motor Company, CIGO (Chief Innovation Growth Officer) at Big Hit Entertainment, and CSO (Chief Strategy Officer) at HYBE.

During the extraordinary general meeting, Lee Jae-sang commented on the live broadcast by NewJeans that took place on the 11th, reiterating his commitment to a principled and composed response.

NewJeans, an artist under HYBE's sub-label ADOR, conducted an urgent live broadcast demanding the reinstatement of Min Hee-jin as the head of ADOR by the 25th. Member Hae-rin expressed her refusal to conform to the current situation, stating, "I do not want to adapt, agree, or follow the current direction. I will not choose to go that way."

Hye-in added, "HYBE's way of working is neither honest nor right. Please stop interfering. Restore ADOR to its original state with Min Hee-jin as the head. We are not asking for better treatment, just for everyone to do their jobs well in their respective positions. We hope our request is granted."

Danielle also voiced her support for Min Hee-jin, saying, "From a human perspective, it would be good if HYBE stopped harassing Min Hee-jin. HYBE just seems like an inhumane company. What can we learn from such a company?"

The demands made during the live broadcast by NewJeans revolve around the reinstatement of Min Hee-jin as the head of ADOR, referred to as the 'Min Hee-jin system.' Min-ji emphasized, "What we want is for Min Hee-jin to be the head, combining management and production as originally intended. This is the way to avoid conflict with HYBE. If our opinions are well conveyed, we hope Chairman Bang Si-hyuk and HYBE will make a wise decision to restore ADOR to its original state by the 25th."

HYBE has yet to release an official statement regarding this matter.

Choi Ji-ye, TenAsia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr