"6% Women Executives in Top 100 Korean Companies"
Young Women Draw Attention... "What We Dreamed Of"
Foreign media reports have emerged stating that many Korean women perceive the dispute between HYBE and Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, as a narrative of "young women standing up against a patriarchal workplace."
The British daily Financial Times (FT) reported on the 5th (local time) in an article titled "Star Producer Fighting K-pop Patriarchy Captivates Korean Women" that this is the case.
FT detailed the allegations of HYBE’s audit against Min’s management rights takeover, Min’s counterattack, HYBE’s multi-label system, and controversies over creative independence and autonomy.
It also explained, "Min rose from a junior employee at SM Entertainment to director, and at HYBE, she served as Chief Brand Officer (CBO) before becoming the head of a subsidiary label." The article summarized the incident by stating that although she succeeded by introducing new trends through NewJeans, her relationship with HYBE deteriorated behind the scenes.
Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, is making a statement on the 25th at the Korea Conference Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, regarding the conflict with the parent company HYBE. Earlier, HYBE announced the results of an interim audit on ADOR's management, including CEO Min Hee-jin, and stated that they would file charges against them for breach of duty and other allegations. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
FT analyzed Min’s recent press conference, where she criticized HYBE executives using profanity, by noting, "South Korea is a country where women executives make up 6% of the top 100 companies," and added, "In this context, Min’s anger attracted the attention of young Korean women inspired by criticism of male bosses."
It then quoted a 31-year-old female office worker, Ms. A, saying, "What Min is going through is what we experience daily in a male-dominated and hierarchical corporate culture." Ms. A, who works in the education sector in Seoul, emphasized, "Min voiced what we have dreamed of out loud."
FT noted that Min’s press conference fashion was similar to the outfits worn by NewJeans members, relaying cultural critic Ha Jae-geun’s analysis that "she gathered public opinion and sent a message to HYBE that she and NewJeans are inseparable."
It predicted, "Because Min is seen as a hero by many young women, it will become more difficult for HYBE to handle her."
Furthermore, FT reported that this incident occurred amid a sharp decline in the stock prices of top entertainment companies including HYBE, diagnosing, "Questions are being raised about how the K-pop industry can replicate the success of the past decade."
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