Hello, this is Min Heejin.
I'm writing something personal for the first time since the press conference.
The reason why I'm not writing this statement in a formal format is because the matter that I want to address can't be conveyed effectively through the format of an official statement.
I apologize for conveying this stance to the general public, and also for any confusion about why this content is being shared with you. However, I have experienced such bewildered situations since April 22nd. I'm writing this in order to minimize misunderstandings and also to correct the false claims that HYBE made in court.
I believe those who have seen my honesty at the press conference will understand that I'm a very straightforward person. The reason behind the honesty in this post is because the situation is very serious. I am the one who experiences all of this. I will not take serious matters lightly.
1. I want to talk about the Naver-Dunamu incident.
A friend of mine, Mr. A, invited me to dinner on March 6th, 2024 at 7:30 PM.
A told me not to feel uncomfortable because his longtime friends would also be there, and indeed, the people I met were all friendly and older than me.
During dinner, one of A's acquaintances mentioned inviting another acquaintance, and at that time, I didn't know who it was. About an hour later, A's acquaintance arrived, and at first, I didn't recognize him. When he introduced himself, I learned that he was Mr. C from Dunamu, who had expressed interest in meeting me through Chairman Bang Sihyuk a long time ago. He said he also wanted to attend this dinner because he was interested in New Jeans and curious about me as a producer. Meanwhile, I didn't know about this, Mr. B from Naver, who had connections with all the attendees, also ended up joining. Regardless of my intentions, everyone gathered there, and the gathering concluded as a private event unrelated to investments, where all attendees could testify if necessary.
Unlike HYBE's media-play, that's all that happened during the dinner.
On what basis does HYBE make false claims, when they were not even present in that dinner?
Mr. C expressed a desire to attend New Jeans' Tokyo Dome concert, and my conversation with him ended with brief discussions about the Tokyo Dome concert. With Mr. B, I only exchanged a few private messages about personal concerns.
On the way home after dinner, I mentioned to Mr. L about the people I coincidentally met that day, and Mr. L suggested in a conversation that if a company like Dunamu (which is one of the investors in HYBE) were to become the owner of ADOR, both HYBE and ADOR could benefit. However, this idea is impractical. We are well aware that without HYBE's consent, this cannot come to the realization. Since it was my first encounter with Mr. C from Dunamu that day, we couldn't even have discussed such matters.
As the CEO of ADOR, I have always felt like ADOR is treated like an 'Outsider' within HYBE as we always suffer from subtle harassment and exclusion. I've wondered if it's a sin to imagine escaping from an inevitable perpetrator.
Living in a world where "thoughts are censored," I wonder what exactly becomes a problem, and I also want to censor the thoughts of HYBE's executives.
Mr. L, after joining ADOR, was surprised to learn that ADOR was suffering so much from HYBE. He asked me, "How have you endured it all this time?" For this reason, Mr. L and I only discussed methods and responses to avoid various harassment from HYBE, but HYBE captured and maliciously manipulated this conversation as if it were some conspiracy.
It's still unbelievable that I have to explain the story of a private meeting in such detail, as if explaining an alibi for a crime.
I wonder if HYBE has found the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that they accused me of.
And it's surprising how HYBE has been involving people who are friends with them in difficult situations, taking advantage of them.
Is it reasonable to propose an acquisition to people you've just met at a dinner with friends? I repeat, if there needs to be a clear confirmation of this, I request a four-party meeting, including HYBE.
I have never made such proposals to Naver or Dunamu, so HYBE should check if they have ever received acquisition proposals from Naver or Dunamu. Instead of beating around the bush, please confirm the 'purpose of the meeting and the conversations' I exchanged with them during the dinner.
I'm mentioning this because I know they were going to come up with articles "Min Heejin admitted to meeting Naver and Dunamu." When I said "I didn't meet those investors," what I meant was "I didn't meed them for the purpose to take over the management rights." I'm saying this to prevent any misunderstandings from their ambiguous statement.
People can hold various social positions, such as CEOs, lawyers, doctors, teachers, and so on. For instance, at a school parents' meeting, no matter what social positions do those parents have, it is still called 'Parents' meeting' and can't be considered at 'Lawyers' meeting' or 'Investors' meeting' just because the parents are lawyers or investors.
Even so, what's the problem of a CEO of a company meeting an investor? Are they being suspicious jut because a CEO of HYBE's subordinate label met an investor?
Also, why were there no proposal or inquiries before the audit?
Even with sufficient reasons to discuss through internal whistleblowing documents, why didn't they notify us beforehand? According to the "Investigation Rights of Subsidiaries under the Commercial Law," it states, "Considering the independence of subsidiaries and parent companies, first, the parent company's audit committee can demand an investigation report from the subsidiary, and if the subsidiary does not comply with the investigation report request or if the report is insufficient, it can directly conduct an audit."
Why did HYBE do an illegal audit just because their stock price dropped? Also, I'd like to point out that all evidence that HYBE has presented so far were obtained in illegal ways.
No matter how much you insist or force to, if it didn't happen, then it didn't happen.
Please refrain from framing me with wordplays like "So, did you meet with investors or not?
2. Human affairs and relationships are complex. They can't be simply explained with a few lines of text on KakaoTalk
There's no reason for excuses, nor is there a need for explanations.
My personality, usual way of speaking, joke style, and the context of the situations and conversations are not something that can be simply judged by those who don't understand the whole conversation. I am confident that anyone would find themselves in a situation like mine if they were manipulated in such a manner that HYBE has done to me.
New Jeans and I have experienced numerous events and situations that you may not be aware of. While I cannot explain all of them here, there is no need for explanations, and unnecessary explanations would involve revealing personal information of others and create unnecessary conflicts. Despite the many things you may not know about, our relationship has grown stronger and more resilient through the numerous challenges we've faced together, including those that are deeply personal and unimaginable to others.
In some ways, it seems that the idol business, which I've been involved in for over 20 years, is what has made us who we are today, even though we still don't fully understand it.
In a biased business environment, starting a business with young friends using someone else's money was incredibly tough.
Most people are not born wealthy. For the majority, coming from ordinary households and securing business funding with their own money is just like reaching for the stars. Being able to attract investment with talent when you have no money is also a skill. Initiating work with such investment is not a sin, and despite repaying more than ten times the initial investment within a short period, and returning it with immeasurable value not quantified in monetary terms, I fail to understand why I should be subjected to absurd framing as a betrayer or an egoist just because I started my business with their investment. Where did the value I provided to HYBE disappear to?
The idol business I experienced was full with contradictions. Trying to make money while prioritizing the safety of these young girls is never easy.
If I had been less compulsive, things might have been smoother. If I was just a boss who aimed to make money and not more, things wouldn't have been so hard. My passion for doing things right may have become a poison, making me blame myself countless times, but looking back on what has passed, I regret nothing.
Going through all the hardships, joys, and challenges together, New Jeans and I feel like family, but not just any family – we've formed a bond that's stronger than simple family ties. So, my relationship with New Jwans is more than what you might think.
Right after they publicly revealed the fake Kakao Talk messages, all the members sent me comforting texts. It wasn't just any comforting message; it was overflowing with love. The messages kept coming until the next morning. I cried not because I was misunderstood or criticized by strangers but because it's unfair for everyone to go through such awful things. It's sad to see people falling for obvious manipulation, when it's not their fault.
However, if you care even a little about New Jeans, what you can do is try to keep the members from getting too upset about this absurd situation. I've been suing malicious YouTube channels all along, so it's ironic to see this happening.
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