Min Heejin: "NewJeans Planned a Big Picture for 7 Years... Hope It Doesn't Become False Hope"

Japan WOWOW Releases Interview with Former Representative Min
"Plans with NewJeans Feel Like 'Dojangkkaegi' Challenge"
"If Everything Goes as Planned, Confident to Surprise with Every Album Annually"

Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR and the overall producer of the group 'NewJeans,' emphasized in an interview with a Japanese broadcast that "there is a blueprint that envisions NewJeans' distant future" and stated, "I do not want to disappoint the members."

Former ADORE CEO Min Hee-jin. [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 22nd, Min, in an exclusive interview titled 'Ask Jeans! NewJeans Interview' released by Japan's leading satellite channel WOWOW, revealed, "I have a blueprint that extends far into the future. I have a big picture drawn for the 7-year exclusive contract period, but honestly, it felt like I was breaking through milestones up to next year's plans."

Regarding the plan, which she confidently described as a "rainbow-colored future," Min said, "I hope the circumstances are created so that we can safely and well reach that point," adding, "If everything goes according to plan, I am confident that each album every year will surprise people a lot. In the past, these things were taken for granted, but now my hope for them to become a reality has grown stronger, and I wish to safely reach that point."

"People live on hope. I talked a lot about the plan with the NewJeans members. I told the members to realize the blueprint, and thanks to our hopeful aspirations, we overcame each hurdle," Min said, adding, "My personal wish is that our content does not become a form of hopeful torture for the members. I have a strong desire for realization. I do not want to disappoint the members."

She also emphasized, "My hope that the stories we shared together will come true has grown stronger."

The timing of Min's interview is known to have been filmed after NewJeans' Tokyo Dome fan meeting 'Bunnies Camp' in June. The format included Min's interview inserted in the middle of the NewJeans members' interviews.

Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR.
Photo by WOWOW, Japan, from the channel broadcast 'Ask Jeans! NewJeans interview' capture.

WOWOW announced that starting with the exclusive broadcast of NewJeans' Tokyo Dome fan meeting in August, they plan to release special programs over four months until November, including interviews with NewJeans members and collections of music videos.

On August 27, ADOR dismissed Min from her CEO position and appointed Kim Ju-young, an internal director and HYBE's Chief Human Resources Officer, as the new CEO. ADOR explained that although Min stepped down as CEO, she would continue to handle NewJeans' producing work. However, Min strongly opposed this, calling it a "unilateral dismissal notice."

On the 11th, NewJeans members demanded through a YouTube live broadcast that HYBE and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk reinstate Min as ADOR's CEO by the 25th. Industry insiders predict that ADOR and its parent company HYBE are unlikely to accept the demands of Min and the NewJeans members.

Amid various opinions, including the possibility of HYBE proposing a compromise to appease the members and the potential initiation of legal procedures such as a provisional injunction to suspend NewJeans' exclusive contract, Min has taken formal legal action. Citing the unfairness of her dismissal, she filed a 'provisional injunction for convening an extraordinary shareholders' meeting of ADOR and reappointment of ADOR's internal director' at the Seoul Central District Court, marking the start of a full-scale legal battle to reclaim her CEO position.