Min Representative "Ailet, Similar to NewJeans' Formula"
On the 25th, while Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, was expressing her outrage over Ailead's claim that they copied NewJeans, Ailead's director posted a photo of a middle finger on social media (SNS).
Photo posted on Instagram Stories by Min Heejin, CEO of ADOR, and Ailit, Visual Director. [Photo by Yonhap News, Instagram]
Ailead's visual director, Heo Se-ryeon, posted a photo containing a middle finger on her Instagram story on the 25th. This photo, taken by photographer Mok Jung-wook, shows a hand with the middle finger raised. There was no additional explanation besides the photo. Although the photo was quickly deleted, the fact that Heo posted such a photo rapidly spread online. It drew intense attention as it was uploaded while CEO Min was holding a press conference. Netizens who saw the photo interpreted it as Heo expressing her feelings about CEO Min's claims.
CEO Min actively denied the claim by HYBE that there was an attempt to seize management rights and asserted that Ailead, a rookie group from another HYBE label, copied NewJeans' concept. She clearly stated, "I am not slandering the members of Ailead. What crime do the kids have?" and sharply added, "The adults are the problem." She explained, "The formula of Ailead and NewJeans is similar," and "I raised the issue because I think the formula, such as the group's appearance and vibe, is problematic."
In her earlier statement on the 22nd, CEO Min also claimed, "Ailead copies NewJeans in all areas of entertainment activities, including hair, makeup, costumes, choreography, photography, videos, and event appearances," and asserted that they are evaluated as "'Min Hee-jin style,' 'Min Hee-jin type,' or 'a derivative of NewJeans.'"
Meanwhile, HYBE launched a sudden audit on the 22nd, alleging that CEO Min and some ADOR executives tried to take over ADOR's management rights and poach NewJeans members. On the 25th, HYBE filed a complaint with the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul against CEO Min and Vice President A on charges of breach of trust. Shortly after CEO Min's press conference, HYBE released a statement saying, "There are so many false claims in CEO Min's press conference that it is difficult to list them all," and added, "She distorted the facts by mixing timelines to mislead the point and presented distorted facts in a public place through her characteristic twisted interpretation mechanism."
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