The Hybe-ADOR Feud and How It Affects the K-Pop World
Part 1. Setting the scene
They say that hindsight offers so much clarity that it compels us to take events and words seriously. Given that this is the prevailing principle that gives value to historical studies, the same can be said for events that could potentially define the course of certain matters. And it is also in this spirit, that it took me some time say some things regarding what has transpired over the last few days regarding the emergence of the issue between two K-Pop labels, name All Doors One Room (ADOR) and its mother company to which it belongs, HYBE Corporation. I have written much about the success of the lone K-Pop band signed and managed by ADOR, NewJeans, and its CEO and creative director Min Hee Jin (in a rather long essay!), so I also try to trace the events in which they are the principal players.
But more than that, I believe that what is happening between ADOR and HYBE may just raise questions regarding the setup and status of the K-Pop industry, especially that it has now earned international fame.
22 April 2024: The Surprising Internal Feud
South Korean entertainment news outlets surprised the world by reporting that HYBE Corporation is going to perform an audit to ADOR and asked its CEO Min Hee Jin to step down from her position. The reason for this is that, according to HYBE officials, they have found substantial evidence of a “company takeover,” which means that there were plans to separate ADOR from HYBE through a series of moves that would force HYBE to “let go” of ADOR as part of the umbrella of music labels.
For those who are not aware of this setup and its significance of how it works, here is a quick summary: in 31 March 2021, BigHit Entertainment, the company that Korean producer Bang Shi Hyuk formed way back in 2005 (famous for being the label that handles K-Pop superstars BTS), was renamed into HYBE Co., Ltd. It serves as a “a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house.”[1] And currently, it has subsidiaries that act as semi-independent music and management labels of several bands and artists not only in Korea but also around the world.
As of writing this article, HYBE Co. owns Big Hit Music (formed separately after the renaming of the company, which manages BTS and TxT), Source Music (managing the all-girl K-pop group LE SSERAFIM), Belift Lab (managing Enhypen and ILLIT), Pledis Entertainment (managing SEVENTEEN), and ADOR (managing NewJeans, with Min Hee Jin as CEO), among others. Internationally, HYBE also bought Ithaca Holdings, led by the controversial Scooter Braun, who manages, among others, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Tori Kelly among others.
HYBE’s status within South Korea, as well as in the international scene, serves as a big reason why this event is crucial. Currently, HYBE is considered as one of the “top four” K-Pop company leaders alongside JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment (which, as we would recall, also had a feud with HYBE in the past year), and YG Entertainment. In the past two years, artists signed under the HYBE labels have dominated the K-Pop scene, part of which is BTS who, despite currently enlisted in the mandated military service of the Republic of Korea, have lined up several promotions and releases as the world waits for the return of the members.
Given this context, one can already see that there is much justification in HYBE’s audit. If there is something going on in one of their subsidiaries, then it is their duty to make sure that they function well as agreed upon. And in this case, it seems that there is something fishy going on. How does it happen that they are forcing out one of their CEOs while the audit is going on? In what way and to what extent should an audit as a response to an internal conflict be public in nature?
Still, there’s a more serious aspect to that call for resignation. The NewJeans comeback through their release of their new single and music video is slated on 26 April, and the whole fiasco may affect not just the initial promotion but the entire release of their new album this coming 24 May.
After the news regarding HYBE, the management of ADOR published a reply addressing the incident. This, however, turned out to be rather unusual. I freely quote the text here:[3]
Hello. This is ADOR Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as ADOR, CEO Min Hee Jin).
ADOR is publicly addressing the incident of ILLIT copying NewJeans to protect our artist NewJeans and for the healthy development of the music industry and culture in Korea.
HYBE operates a multi-label system for various labels to independently create their music and pursue cultural diversity. ADOR is one of those labels. Ironically, ADOR and our agency artist NewJeans’ cultural achievements are being most severely infringed upon by HYBE.
BELIFT LAB, one of HYBE’s labels, debuted the five-member girl group ILLIT in March of this year. After ILLIT’s teaser photos were released, explosive reactions spread online saying, “I thought it was NewJeans.” ILLIT is copying NewJeans in all aspects of entertainment activities including hair, makeup, clothing, choreography, photos, videos, and event appearances. ILLIT is being assessed as being “Min Hee Jin style,” “Min Hee Jin type,” and “an imitation of NewJeans.”
It’s a truly shameful situation.HYBE chairman Bang Si Hyuk produced ILLIT’s debut album. The copying of NewJeans by ILLIT was not done independently by BELIFT LAB but also involves HYBE. HYBE, a leading company in K-pop, is blinded by short-term profits and is mass-producing unoriginality by copying successful cultural content without hesitation.
NewJeans is currently preparing for a comeback in May. However, ILLIT has caused NewJeans to be brought up when they are not promoting at the moment. The appearance of an imitation has caused NewJeans’ image to be consumed and has caused concern and fatigue to fans and the public with unnecessary involvement in disputes. The main culprits who created this situation are HYBE and BELIFT LAB, but the damage caused by this is entirely on ADOR and NewJeans.
There are reactions that it is understandable that ILLIT is similar to NewJeans as they are both under HYBE labels. Some even think that ADOR and NewJeans have allowed or consented to this similarity. However, these reactions are clearly a misunderstanding, and we want to clarify this. A multi-label system is a system for each label to independently create the music they want, not a system to give indulgences to other labels to copy the cultural achievements of another label just because they are affiliated labels.
And ADOR has never allowed or given consent to anyone, including HYBE and BELIFT LAB, to copy NewJeans’ achievements. ADOR does not want NewJeans and ILLIT to be associated in any way. We have no intention of tolerating promotions such as groups being sibling groups just because they debuted under HYBE labels.
ADOR has already officially raised the issue of the copying incident and a series of behaviors taken by HYBE against NewJeans to HYBE and BELIFT LAB. However, HYBE and BELIFT LAB did not admit their wrongdoings and were busy making excuses, delaying concrete answers. Amidst this, HYBE suddenly informed today (April 22, 2024) that they would suspend and dismiss CEO Min Hee Jin from her duties, stating that there is “concern that [CEO Min Hee Jin] could significantly damage ADOR’s corporate value.”
At the same time, they are attempting ridiculous media play such as that CEO Min Hee Jin “tried to seize management rights.” It is incomprehensible how a legitimate complaint to protect the cultural achievements of our artist NewJeans could harm ADOR’s interests or how it could be an act of seizing control of ADOR.
It appears that HYBE and BELIFT LAB along with Chairman Bang Si Hyuk think that simply driving CEO Min Hee Jin out of the company will end this issue without providing proper apologies or measures. However, ADOR will use all possible means and methods to protect the cultural achievements that NewJeans has worked for and to prevent further infringement due to copying. We want to make it clear that we cannot tolerate copying and various unfair actions continuing against ADOR and NewJeans.
HYBE and BELIFT LAB may try to dilute the incident from debut by highlighting the differences between NewJeans and ILLIT as ILLIT’s activities increase. Misunderstandings by fans and the public may also increase over time. As a result, ADOR has decided to announce an official position after sufficient discussion with the NewJeans members and legal representatives.
Through this statement, we hope that HYBE and BELIFT LAB will face their wrongdoings and contribute to the Korean music industry and culture through fervent contemplation and creation while respecting the cultural achievements of others.
Thank you.[2]
This letter somehow brings in another issue, which ADOR claims has been the true concern all along: a case of copyright infringement.
BELIFT Lab debuted ILLIT, a five-piece girl group made up of the winners of the survival competition show R U Next? (aired on JTBC) on 25 March 2024. So far, the band’s new single “Magnetic” have gained popularity over social media, and they have slowly grown toward becoming a household name globally. However, behind that success were those opinions which seem to insinuate that the concept, music, and promotion of ILLIT closely imitates NewJeans. It does not help the situation (at least from the perspective of the public) that the band announced their fandom name to Lillies, and suffered backlash because it drew similarities to the supposed fandom name of Blackpink’s Lisa. Hence, their management decided to put this on hold and announces to change the name of the fandom.
With this at hand, we come to a conclusion regarding this “first wave” of the bout between HYBE and ADOR. I aim to avoid opinions circulating social media, only except those that have affected the way things go; nevertheless, we have two here.
- HYBE’s public announcement of an internal audit on ADOR, with a public call to CEO Min Hee Jin to step down from her position as ADOR’s CEO is no simple public announcement like any album release or change in management personnel. Trouble is brewing, and it seems that it cannot be merely internal.
- ADOR’s backlash to this public issue grounds itself on plagiarism charges toward BELIEFT LAB, who debuted ILLIT this year.
These two statements practically set the stage for what is going to happen in the next days between these two labels.
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[1] Admittedly, a lot of these are accessible through Wikipedia, but the best source for those who read is actually the HYBE Corporation info page
[2]This is a translation of the memo, the original of which is found in Naver News (among other South Korean news sites, and translated by Soompi)