2025-05-13 NewJeans Parent Interview with Ilgan Sports

Korean original: https://m.entertain.naver.com/home/article/241/0003350217

English translation by Grok AI: 

Exclusive: Mother of NewJeans Member, Ms. A, Says, “HYBE CEO Park Ji-won Promised NewJeans a Long Break…” (Interview)

By Reporter Jeon Hyung-hwa

Published: May 13, 2024, 16:12

A mother of a NewJeans member revealed that HYBE CEO Park Ji-won promised the group a long break after their Tokyo Dome performance, sparking potential controversy.

“CEO Park Ji-won told us he would give the kids a long break,” she said.

Amid the intense conflict between HYBE and its subsidiary label ADOR, the mother of a NewJeans member, Ms. A, spoke with Ilgan Sports in a phone interview. Cautious about causing harm to the members, Ms. A expressed distress on May 12, saying, “I felt so guilty, wondering if this situation arose because we sent that email.”

Ms. A shared, “On April 25, the day of ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin’s press conference, three NewJeans mothers, including myself, visited HYBE.” She added, “We were worried about CEO Min, and we thought we could act as a bridge between HYBE and ADOR.”

Ms. A recounted, “CEO Park Ji-won arrived about 20 minutes late, while other executives came first. We barely discussed mediation for a few minutes. They brought a laptop and started talking about how ‘CEO Min did this and that wrong.’”

Previously, the parents of NewJeans members, including Ms. A, sent an email to ADOR on March 31, raising concerns about alleged plagiarism by HYBE’s subsidiary label BELIFT LAB’s rookie group, [REDACTED], and demanding corrections. On April 3, CEO Min Hee-jin forwarded this email, along with her own opinions, to HYBE and BELIFT LAB. ADOR sent another email on April 16, noting the lack of response, and HYBE replied to the first email that same day. HYBE sent a response to ADOR’s second email on the morning of April 22 and began an audit of ADOR that afternoon.

When asked about suspicions that the NewJeans parents were persuaded by CEO Min Hee-jin to send the email, Ms. A responded, “HYBE said something similar. They showed us things like KakaoTalk messages from ADOR’s Vice President A, acting as if they knew everything. It was so bewildering.” She clarified, “We didn’t know if we were using the right terms, so we asked CEO Min to review the email. We clearly told HYBE executives that this was initiated by us, the NewJeans parents.”

“When [REDACTED]’s concept photos came out, my friends sent them to me, asking if they were NewJeans’ new photos but wondering why [member’s name] wasn’t there. They looked so similar. So, we (the NewJeans mothers) discussed it and asked CEO Min about it. This was definitely started by us,” Ms. A emphasized.

Ms. A also mentioned, “In the email we sent, we noted that HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk doesn’t acknowledge greetings from the kids. Not just our kids, but other artists said they had similar experiences after debuting. One member said he didn’t respond to their greeting even when they were in an elevator together.” She continued, “When we raised this issue, HYBE said, ‘Mothers, it’s a misunderstanding,’ and claimed that Chairman Bang might have face blindness.” 

Ms. A added, “We couldn’t say much more at the meeting, but afterward, I thought, ‘Even if he has face blindness, can’t he hear? And even if he doesn’t recognize someone, wouldn’t he normally return a greeting?’”

She also noted, “At the meeting, HYBE talked about CEO Min’s management of [REDACTED] and told us not to mention it to the NewJeans members because it was sensitive. But less than an hour after we left, articles about [REDACTED]’s management came out. They talked about caring for the kids, but then released articles so quickly—it made me wonder who these people are.”

Ms. A shared, “CEO Park Ji-won arrived later and told us, ‘CEO Min didn’t share any materials for NewJeans’ Tokyo Dome, but we have professionals and will handle it well.’ He also said they plan to give NewJeans a long break after Tokyo Dome.”

She continued, “I didn’t ask how long the break would be, but CEO Park mentioned that it takes about a year and a half to secure a Grammy-winning producer, but they’d try to do it faster. So, afterward, the mothers wondered if the ‘long break’ meant about a year and a half. We said we’d ask about it next time.”

Ms. A stressed, “We clearly told HYBE that we want NewJeans to continue with CEO Min Hee-jin. This is the unanimous opinion of all five members’ mothers.”

“I’m very worried. If CEO Min isn’t there, I fear HYBE might neglect the kids for a long time. Before this happened, CEO Min mentioned plans for a NewJeans world tour next year. But now, with this talk of a long break…”

In response to Ms. A’s claims, a senior HYBE official clarified, “The ‘long break’ doesn’t mean putting their activities on hold. Typically, idols are active after a comeback and then take a rest period before the next one. That’s what we meant.” They added, “It absolutely doesn’t mean halting NewJeans’ activities. HYBE will take special care of NewJeans and support them to become top artists.”

The official countered, “If we were going to sideline them, why would we talk about producers and production? Those present at the meeting can confirm this.” They also called the claims “baseless” and accused CEO Min of “trying to manipulate fans’ anger to pursue her own independence.”

The official further stated, “There is substantial evidence regarding [CEO Min’s alleged breach of trust]. When this is revealed in court, people will see HYBE’s sincerity.”

Reporter Jeon Hyung-hwa, brofire@edaily.co.kr