"It's the first time, so it'll be okay in a few days."
"It's already been a year with just that thought."
(Lyrics from Brown Eyed Soul's 'It's Already Been a Year')
It has been 'already a year' since the so-called 'HYBE incident' surrounding former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin broke out. I thought things would get better and change, but they have not improved at all. Both sides are still maintaining their distance, and the group NewJeans, to which they belong, is barely holding onto its strong musical identity, which is precarious.
"Initiation of an audit regarding Min Hee-jin." This was the beginning of the disruption in the music industry.
On April 22 last year, HYBE announced the initiation of an audit, stating that they had identified circumstances in which former CEO Min Hee-jin and the then Ador management attempted to seize control. HYBE drew a sharp sword against Min Hee-jin. As this fact was reported, public opinion regarding Min Hee-jin rapidly deteriorated, and his image began to plummet.
Ultimately, former CEO Min Hee-jin held an emergency press conference on April 25, just three days later. The indefinite press conference lasted about 135 minutes, filled with Min Hee-jin's passionate outpouring. The bombshell statements he made on-site significantly swayed the reactions of reporters, the press, and even the public, lending weight to his sincerity.
That was the beginning. Since then, the flood of rebuttals from both sides showed no signs of ending. Even now, at the beginning of the incident, various forms of evidence and revelations continued to emerge, making it the biggest topic in the industry.
Now, a year later, NewJeans, which was at the center of the incident, has declared its separation from Ador and is calling for independent activities, but even that is not easy. The court has sided with HYBE, and the members seem to be heading to court rather than the stage. On the 16th, the court even dismissed the objection to the injunction against independent activities filed by their agency, Ador. Of course, the members plan to appeal.
Min Hee-jin, who sought to protect NewJeans, is facing a prolonged lawsuit with HYBE, and NewJeans is also showing unstable movements. None of HYBE, Min Hee-jin, NewJeans, or Ador are walking the paths they desire. Ador dreams of accompanying NewJeans and shares news through official social media, while the members are in a state where independent activities have come to a halt. The spirit of the once thriving 'One Team' has long since disappeared.
In the dispute among those gathered for NewJeans, the members have become like ducks in a dry river. They cannot release new songs or engage in any music work. Before the injunction against independent activities was issued, the members stood on stage at an event in Hong Kong, but attention was focused more on whether they would be active rather than on their new song stage. There has been no positive wind blowing for their activities.
NewJeans' transparent and active activities have come to a halt in April 2024. Now, as we reach 'It's already been a year,' we can only hope it doesn't become 'It's already been two years.'
