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Korean Original: [단독 인터뷰] 바퀴벌레 득실거리는 숙소, 학업 포기 종용… 뉴진스 부모 입 열었다
English Translation (@juantokki): https://x.com/juantokki/status/1816007404557066445
[Exclusive Interview] Cockroach-Infested Dorms, Forced to Quit School... NewJeans Parents Speak Out
Reporters Jeong Hee-won and Jeon Kyung-woo
“NewJeans will stay with ADOR until the end. Please stop HYBE's malicious reverse viral tactics.”
The parents of NewJeans members have spoken out. They are the legal guardians of the minor members. The parents decided to speak up after an article titled "The Story Behind Min Hee-jin and the Takeover of NewJeans'' was published on the 23rd, followed by HYBE's response. The parents of NewJeans expressed that they can no longer endure HYBE's reverse viral actions.
In an interview with the World Biz & Sports World, they expressed their determination to stay with ADOR's CEO Min Hee-jin and urged HYBE to stop its reverse viral tactics.
Minji's Mother: “A Dorm Infested with Cockroaches, Sending a Young Girl Home Alone at 2 AM”
Minji's mother was delighted when Minji moved from Source Music to ADOR. She shared previously untold stories of Minji's trainee days at Source Music.
“Minji started her trainee life at Source Music at the age of 13, living alone in Seoul,” Minji’s mother said. As a parent, she wanted to check on her child, but parents were prohibited from entering the dorms.
Minji's mother visited the dorm for the first time a year later during a move. The sight was shocking: mold in every corner and cockroaches everywhere. She said, "Thinking about how Minji endured in such a harsh environment without complaining still breaks my heart."
The tough living conditions were not the only problem. The endless waiting was even more torturous. Minji's mother recounted, “Like any trainee, it was a constant wait. What made it worse was that Source Music left Minji in limbo for years without any explanations or plans.” There was no promise of debut, no formation of a debut team, or any related plans.
“Despite this, they made a 14-year-old work past 2 AM without any breaks on weekends,” she added. “I still vividly remember Minji calling me to ease her fears while walking home alone in the dark early mornings.”
Minji was also passionate about her studies. She felt pressured to stay awake, fearing she would miss school. It was common for her to wait outside the school gates from 6 AM until they opened.
Despite this, Source Music pressured Minji to quit her studies. “They told her that it would be difficult to manage both regular high school and training, and suggested not attending high school at all,” Minji's mother explained. Minji found solace in going to school because of the tough training at Source Music.
Without any future plans or explanations from Source Music, Minji decided she wanted to continue her education. After discussing it, Source Music told her that attending an arts high school might be possible. However, the entrance exams were imminent, and Minji had not prepared. She had to find teachers on her own and managed to get into an arts high school.
“Minji's strong determination to achieve her dream helped her endure the harsh conditions,” her mother emphasized.
Source Music later became a HYBE label, and there was hope that Minji would debut as part of HYBE’s first girl group. But they found out that a famous entertainer was joining HYBE’s girl group debut team. “The debut order was suddenly changed without any explanation, putting Minji at risk of being dropped,” Minji's mother said. “However, CEO Min Hee-jin could not easily abandon the trainees she had taken in, and Minji eventually achieved her dream by debuting as NewJeans.”
Minji's mother asserted, “We signed with ADOR. We were happy to have Min Hee-jin with us during the move from Source Music to ADOR. We are fully satisfied with ADOR and have never thought of leaving.”
“Our problem is with HYBE. I remember the witch hunt-like articles that flooded out for three days starting April 22nd. They painted strange frames around the parents and NewJeans. The way HYBE, a major corporation, is personally attacking CEO Min Hee-jin is shocking. How can we trust and rely on such a parent company?”
Hyein and Haerin's Mothers: “Being Called 'Newfty'... Those Misunderstood Three Days Were Horrifying”
The mothers of Hyein and Haerin also stated, “We have never thought of or planned to leave ADOR.”
They explained, “Our exclusive contracts are with ADOR, and we are very satisfied with ADOR, so there’s no reason to leave. But in April, HYBE made it seem like we were betraying and leaving the company. We were even targeted as 'Newfty' in reference to past events. The process of being misunderstood was horrifying.”
The mothers recalled, “During the final trainee evaluation at Source Music, we received no feedback for several months. All the members were anxious, thinking they wouldn't debut. Before moving to ADOR, Source Music’s CEO So Seong-jin did not explain anything to us. Now, Source Music claims they are wronged, but why were there no explanations before? When we signed the contracts, they started with all sorts of good words, but there were no meetings afterward.”
“HYBE suddenly turned CEO Min Hee-jin, the parents, and even NewJeans into strange people. How can we trust such a company?” they lamented.
Regarding the circumstances of signing with Source Music, Hyein's mother said, “We signed with Source Music because BigHit (now HYBE) promised their first girl group debut and said Source Music was the only company accepting female trainees. This was discussed when we signed the contract. We welcomed the move to ADOR under CEO Min Hee-jin.”
The mothers pointed out, “All the members remember how Source Music neglected NewJeans during their trainee days. There are many serious instances of HYBE neglecting NewJeans now. Do they want all these details to be exposed?”
Regarding the videos of NewJeans' trainee days released by Source Music on the 22nd, Haerin's mother questioned, “Even though they had moved companies, Source Music and HYBE released these videos without permission. This raises doubts about their professional ethics.”
The mothers urged HYBE to leave ADOR alone. “Why do they keep bothering a company that is doing well on its own? We’ve spoken with HYBE's board members multiple times. We never asked for special treatment from HYBE. We just pleaded to be left alone. These are the most uncommunicative people I have ever encountered. HYBE makes no sense to us,” they sighed.
Danielle’s Mother: “HYBE's Outrageous Response, Who Is Leaking Information?”
“It takes time for me to grasp the facts. The reports are not spreading right now.” (A text message from Park Tae-hee, HYBE's CCO, to Danielle's mother about the video leak)
Danielle's mother was horrified by the trainee videos released by a media outlet on the 23rd. She pointed out that it was HYBE who changed their stance on the debut order.
“I clearly remember the details of Danielle’s contract with Source Music,” she explained. “The agreement was that if Danielle made the debut team, she would be in HYBE’s first girl group.”
“There was no mention of including members from previously debuted teams. We only heard about it much later through external articles. Regarding the 'member snatching' article on the 23rd, she explained, ‘The information could not have been leaked unless it came from HYBE or Source Music.’”
Danielle’s mother expressed frustration, “HYBE saying they are investigating the origin of the article is baffling. It couldn’t have come from anyone other than HYBE or Source Music. HYBE said they would investigate only after we asked. We are considering legal action if the article is not corrected.”
She said, “Experiencing this situation makes me feel that HYBE and Source Music are companies that do not protect their artists at all.”
“How can I trust HYBE with my daughter when I don't know when or how they might attack or release edited information that is not entirely true?”
HYBE Continually Attacked ADOR... “All Parents Share the Same View”
The parents interviewed stated that “Hanni’s mother, who is in Australia, holds the same view. There are more scary stories, but we’ll stop here. The ones who have been consistently attacking first are HYBE. We want this fight to end.”
The parents particularly urged HYBE to stop spreading false information as if it were the truth.
For example, "Attention" is a debut song brought in directly by CEO Min Hee-jin. Danielle participated in the songwriting. “It's shocking that Source Music released the demo and practice videos of 'Attention,' which has nothing to do with them, without our consent. They also released personal information without our consent, which is a significant issue. We sent a legal notice to Source Music and Dispatch. Despite the many witnesses, they keep editing potentially misleading content and lying, which is frightening,” they sighed.
Reporters Jeong Hee-won and Jeon Kyung-woo at happy1@sportsworldi.com
(thanks @NJBUBBLEGUM and @garpu67359211 for editing and translations)
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