HYBE subsidiary label, Source Music, has sued the ADOR CEO and the brain behind popular K-pop girl group, NewJeans. The development comes a month after Min Hee Jin secured her seat against HYBE’s attempt to dismiss her.
For the unversed, HYBE is the parent label for multiple subsidiary artist management companies including BigHit Music which manages K-pop sensation BTS. ADOR and Source Music are two separate subsidiary labels under HYBE. ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin has been in the headlines for the past few months due to her feud with HYBE. Hee Jin faced an audit from HYBE after the label suspected attempts from her to gain independence and break away from the parent company. While the matter is in court and all over social media, Source Music, the company behind the girl group LE SSERAFIM, has become the second HYBE subsidiary to sue Min Hee Jin.
Source Music has filed a defamation lawsuit of 500 million Korean won (about $361k) against the ADOR CEO, who is also the executive producer of NewJeans. The lawsuit is for the comments made by Min Hee Jin during the press conference she held in April.
Min Hee Jin had claimed that her girl group project was sidelined by HYBE during her time at the Source Music, where she used to work before taking over ADOR. She alleged that HYBE focused on LE SSERAFIM which led to her quitting Source Music and building NewJeans under ADOR.
HYBE has confirmed the 500 million KRW lawsuit against Min Hee Jin by its subsidiary label. “The label’s accusations primarily include three complaints: (A) Min claimed that she personally selected the members of NewJeans as trainees (B) Min claimed that the company unilaterally broke its promise to debut NewJeans as HYBE’s first girl group and (C) Min claimed Source Music neglected the members of NewJeans. The members of NewJeans have been trained under Source Music. And it was Source Music, not Min as an individual, who chose them as trainees,” Source Music told Billboard.
Amid her feud with HYBE, Min Hee Jin is already facing a lawsuit from another sub-label BELIFT LAB. Earlier in May, the sub-label sued the ADOR CEO for defamation over her comments on their girl group ILLIT. Min Hee Jin had accused BELIFT LAB of plagiarizing NewJeans’ concept and formulas for ILLIT.
LE SSERAFIM is a five member K-pop girl group under Source Music. The group came to global spotlight after their Coachella debut in April. The group was criticised over their performances in the fest. The group was criticised over their performances in the fest. LE SSERAFIM is all set to release new music in August.
The five-member girl group was formed under the directions of Min Hee Jin, who is often dubbed as the mother of NewJeans. The group has earned significant success since their debut. Despite the chaos in the company, NewJeans managed to release two singles in June and held a fan meeting at the Tokyo Dome.
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