First Goal Easily Surpassed 35,000
"Min Hee-jin, Unprofessional and Harmful"
International fans of the group BTS have achieved the goal of an international petition demanding that Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, leave HYBE.
On the 27th of last month, an international petition titled "MIN HEE JIN Leave HYBE Company" was posted on the petition site Change.org. As of 6 PM on the 9th, more than 49,000 people had agreed. This far exceeded the initial goal of 35,000 signatures.
The petitioner is "ARMY Forever." Given the use of the BTS fandom name "ARMY," it appears to be a petition posted by a BTS fan. The petitioner wrote, "I am writing to inform you of a serious issue affecting the well-being and morale of several members within the HYBE group," and claimed, "Recently, a certain individual (CEO Min) has been spreading false information and leading harassment campaigns against groups such as BTS, ILY:1, and LE SSERAFIM."
They continued, "Specifically, CEO Min is suspected of spreading false information about competing HYBE groups and pressuring contract terminations by devaluing HYBE through BTS, ILY:1, and LE SSERAFIM," adding, "Such actions are not only unprofessional but also create a hostile environment for those under the same roof, causing irreparable harm."
The petitioner emphasized, "It is important to promptly resolve this issue to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all groups," and urged, "A thorough investigation and appropriate measures to prevent the spread of false information should be carried out." Along with this, they posted translations of KakaoTalk messages exchanged between CEO Min and shamans into English. Those who joined the petition left reasons for their participation in various languages, encouraging the involvement of BTS international fans.
Earlier, on the 22nd of last month, HYBE began an audit of ADOR’s management, including CEO Min, citing an attempted takeover of management rights, and filed a complaint against CEO Min for breach of duty. In response, CEO Min strongly opposed, claiming it was a retaliatory dismissal following her raising plagiarism issues regarding NewJeans. On the 31st of last month, HYBE held an extraordinary shareholders' meeting to attempt to dismiss CEO Min, but the court accepted a provisional injunction to prohibit the exercise of voting rights, nullifying the attempt. However, two of her close associates on the board were dismissed at the meeting, and HYBE’s recommended executives Kim Ju-young (CHRO), Lee Jae-sang (CSO), and Lee Kyung-jun (CFO) were appointed as new inside directors.
On the same day, CEO Min held an emergency press conference and expressed her willingness to reconcile with HYBE, saying, "I hope a good decision will be made for the children like my own (NewJeans)." She also stated, "Now, considering the greater good, shouldn’t everyone move forward in a positive direction? We need to be an organization that moves together for business vision, and for that, constructive and healthy discussions and compromises are necessary," emphasizing, "HYBE must put aside emotional issues and reconsider the next chapter for everyone's benefit."
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