Is HYBE or Min Hee-jin the party to NewJeans' exclusive contract? [★FOCUS]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The truth dispute between HYBE and Min Hee-jin, who was the CEO of ADOR at the time, over the issue of girl group NewJeans' exclusive contract is once again drawing attention.

Following a report on the 5th (local time), The New York Times analyzed the contract signed by NewJeans members with ADOR in 2022 and pointed out that "the clause protecting the right to health, learning, sleep, and rest from the government's standard contract was omitted, and members were required to repay a significant portion of the costs incurred by the company for plastic surgery, skin care, and other procedures." The outlet also criticized provisions related to private life, such as inappropriate romantic relationships, as well as rights regarding the use of members' faces and voices after the termination of the contract.

The New York Times stated, "NewJeans' contract lacks clauses from the standard contract that guarantee minors' physical and mental health, right to education, and rights to sleep and rest," adding, "The contract in question also includes numerous provisions that infringe on members' rights, such as the method for calculating penalty damages for breach of contract and portrait rights clauses after the termination of the contract."

It further claimed, "In particular, a clause was found requiring members to bear a significant portion of the costs incurred during their trainee period for plastic surgery, skin care, and body correction. At that time, two group officials stated that the agency had recommended cosmetic procedures to some members before their debut." The report also pointed out issues with the calculation of penalty damages imposed in case of contract violation. Unlike the standard contract, it was noted that the penalty could increase because only months in which actual sales occurred were reflected in the calculation of the monthly average sales amount.

Subsequently, HYBE issued a lengthy statement on the 6th, stating, "Min Hee-jin, who was then CEO of ADOR, along with the deputy CEO she appointed, members and their parents, and legal representatives for some members, negotiated the wording and (finally) signed the contract. It went through three months of Q&A, email communication, and lawyer review, and it was recognized in a court decision that it was concluded after sufficient discussion." The company also claimed, "The legal team provides the basic template, and the label communicates with the artist to determine key conditions such as settlement methods. Afterwards, we requested The New York Times to explicitly state that Min Hee-jin was the principal party to the contract, but this was not reflected."

On the other hand, Min Hee-jin's side countered, "Participating in contract negotiations and signing is different from having the authority to decide key clauses," adding, "HYBE's legal team led the drafting and revision of the draft on behalf of ADOR, which did not have an independent legal team, and required the agreement of HYBE's legal team, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Executive Officer, as well as board approval." They further rebutted, "In 2024, we requested authority to conclude important contracts, but HYBE refused. Consultations with parents were limited revisions mainly to clarify wording. It is more important who actually created and could modify the key clauses of the contract than who signed it."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original