2024-11-08 ADOR vs Director Shin Wooseok SPOTVNEWS Coverage

Korean Original: [단독]'뉴진스 MV' 신우석 감독, 어도어 경영진 명예훼손 형사 고소 

English Translation (@juantokki): https://x.com/juantokki/status/1854697319251447977 

‘NewJeans MV’ Director Shin Woo-seok Files Defamation Complaint Against ADOR Executives

Reporter Jang Jin-ri

SPOTV News – Director Shin Woo-seok from Dolphiners Film has initiated legal action against ADOR.

According to SPOTV News’ investigation on the 8th, on November 4, Director Shin filed a complaint at the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul against ADOR’s CEO Kim Joo-young, who also serves as HYBE’s Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), and Deputy CEO Lee Do-kyung, on charges of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act.

Shin Woo-seok, director at Dolphiners, created the hit music videos for NewJeans’ songs “Ditto,” “ETA,” and “OMG.” He also ran the YouTube channel “Ban Hee-soo,” which captured NewJeans’ moments as recorded by the character Ban Hee-soo, an anthropomorphized representation of the NewJeans fandom, Bunnies. The channel gained massive popularity among both domestic and international fans.

Amidst rising tensions between NewJeans and ADOR, which came under new management following the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin, Shin revealed that ADOR demanded the removal of NewJeans-related video content he had produced. The Ban Hee-soo channel, in particular, resonated deeply with young fans in their teens and twenties as well as older fans who felt nostalgic for the NewJeans narrative and vibe, intensifying the fallout.

However, ADOR countered by stating that it only requested the takedown of the “ETA” music video director’s cut due to prior disagreements with advertisers and had not demanded the removal or halt of all NewJeans-related videos.

The conflict over the video deletions escalated further, with both sides accusing each other of falsehoods. Shin claimed that ADOR intimidated him by sending a certified document demanding double the service fees, then engaged in “media play” with untruths. In response, ADOR argued that it was Shin and Dolphiners who violated the contract.

Shin later accused ADOR of lying publicly while secretly attempting to manipulate him, using deception to twist the situation. He stated, “I will provide recordings, emails, and evidence sequentially as needed and will file defamation charges against CEO Kim Joo-young and Deputy CEO Lee Do-kyung,” indicating his intent to proceed with legal action.

The ongoing dispute between HYBE and former CEO Min Hee-jin, initially sparked by allegations of a takeover attempt, continues to intensify. NewJeans and their supporters demand Min’s reinstatement as ADOR’s CEO, claiming mistrust of the current leadership. Min also argues that under a shareholder agreement, she should be reappointed as ADOR’s CEO.

Although the court dismissed Min’s injunction against HYBE on the 29th of last month, her legal team clarified, “This does not mean the court accepted HYBE’s claims.” They added that Min will consider enforcing her rights if ADOR’s directors violate the shareholder agreement by refusing to reappoint her as CEO.