BTS V: "I'm surprised that Min Heejin submitted our Kakao Talk messages without my consent ... I had no intention of taking sides"

SOURCE: BTS 뷔 "민희진, 내 동의없이 카톡 제출 당황…특정 편 서려는 의도 없어" [전문]

V has his position regarding the Kakao Talk messages used as evidence in the legal battle between HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Heejin.

On the 20th, V stated through his account, "This was part of a private, daily conversation I shared with my acquaintance to show empathy. I have absolutely no intention of taking either side."

He continued, "However, I'm very taken aback that this conversation was submitted as evidence without my consent."

Previously, on the 12th, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on two lawsuits, including HYBE's lawsuit to confirm the termination of the shareholder agreement and Min Heejin's lawsuit to seek for payment for her shares. The court dismissed HYBE's claims and ruled that HYBE must pay approximately 25.5 billion KRW to Min Heejin.

It is reported that the court saw Min Heejin's allegations that ILLIT copied NewJeans as a fair opinion. During this process, Min Heejin's side submitted Kakao Talk messages she exchanged with V as an evidence, which the court accepted.

According to a news report on the 20th, V reportedly told Min Heejin in the message, "(People always talk about plagiarism, it never stops) Sigh... I know right. I also saw it and thought 'this looks similar...'" The court also noted that HYBE's Chairman Bang Sihyuk produced ILLIT's debut album.

After seeing these reports, V personally addressed on his personal social media, expressing how flustered he was that Min Heejin’s side submitted the messages as evidence without his permission.

Continue reading BTS V: "I'm surprised that Min Heejin submitted our Kakao Talk messages without my consent ... I had no intention of taking sides"

Shinhwa's Kim Dongwan sparks controversy by claiming "prostitution should be legalized"

SOURCE: 신화 김동완 "성매매 합법화해야" 주장 파문 [스타이슈]

On the 17th, a screenshot of Kim Dongwan’s post on Threads was posted to the Shinhwa gallery on the online community DC Inside.

According to the post, Kim Dongwan stated, "By trying to get rid of red-light districts, the whole country is becoming a red-light district. I can't help but have questions when I see entertainment districts in front of churches, schools, and police stations. We must recognize and manage them. Given the fact that single-person households are increasing, we shouldn’t just brush it aside with the logic that it's okay to keep things hidden."

One netizen strongly agreed with the post, saying, "No matter how much I think about it, I believe it is right to manage prostitution by introducing a legal system. Prostitution is something that can never disappear because of human nature, and isn't it already happening underground?" They added, "People ask how sex can be bought with money, but the history of prostitution has gone hand in hand with human history. It has always existed, and the demand will never disappear, so I think we should manage it through a legal system. We also need a clear legal distinction between prostitution and sexual violence."

To this explicit supportive comment, Kim Dongwan replied, “Could you summarize it a bit shorter? Maybe in about four lines?”

Furthermore, when another netizen expressed mixed feelings, saying, "I have mixed feelings about this. I'd like the government to collect taxes, but I'm not sure if legalizing it is right," Kim Dongwan argued back, "The reason I think it should be legalized is because there are people who can't have sex without paying for it. It's also necessary for disease control."

Even fans reacted with shock. They showed cold reactions, saying, "Wow," "He has really gone too far now,""This is the worst nonsense I've ever seen," "Can't he change starting this new year?", "This is crazy," and "I feel dizzy."

Kim Dongwan’s post claiming prostitution should be legalized was taken down as he deactivated his Threads account, but traces of it still remain on Google.

On the 19th, Kim Dongwan posted a lengthy message criticizing 'anonymity,' saying, "The culture of hate has grown too much while wearing the mask of being anonymous."

He said, "Anonymity once had a role. In a time when people had no place to speak, there was certainly a need for a public petition system. However, that system was meant as a way to reach those in power, not a loudspeaker in a forest used to amplify each other’s anger. Korea's strong sense of unity sometimes brings people together, but at other times it turns into a misguided confidence. When hatred toward specific countries and races is packaged as patriotism, people do not feel guilt. And now, people drunk on agitation are pointing knives at each other. Some recent incidents have shown clearly how easily humans can become ugly. Being anonymous has become a way to avoid responsibility instead of a way to protect people."

Additionally, Kim Dongwan shared, "We need an era where people take responsibility for their words. It is time to think deeply about whether to leave anonymous message boards as they are or to introduce some form of real-name system and verification."

Continue reading Shinhwa's Kim Dongwan sparks controversy by claiming "prostitution should be legalized"

'This looks similar...' V and Min Heejin's Kakao Talk messages submitted as evidence in the 'ILLIT-NewJeans copy allegations' trial

SOURCE: "이거 비슷한데…" 뷔-민희진 카톡, '아일릿-뉴진스 카피 의혹' 재판 증거 됐다

While former ADOR CEO Min Heejin won the 26 billion KRW legal battle against HYBE, a Kakao Talk message from BTS' V is included in the court ruling, drawing attention.

On the 12th, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Min Heejin in the lawsuit she filed against HYBE. The court recognized the exercise of her 'put option' and ordered HYBE to pay approximately 25.5 billion KRW.

According to the first trial verdict obtained by this paper on the 20th, the court judged that HYBE was the one who first spread the conflict to the public through media play. Also, the court determined that Min Heejin's suspicions of ILLIT copying NewJeans was an expression of opinion rather than defamation.

Notably, the court drew attention as they accepted the Kakao Talk message between V and Min Heejin as evidence. In the messages, V reportedly said, "(People always talk about plagiarism, it never stops) Sigh... I know right. I also saw it and thought 'this looks similar...'"

Previously, V had asked Min Heejin to be the head producer for his first solo album, Layover, released in 2023. At the time, Big Hit Music stated that at V's request, Min Heejin led the entire production, including music, choreography, design, and promotions.

Later, after Min Heejin's injunction against HYBE was dismissed in 2024, she appeared on the Youtube channel 'Kim Youngdae's School of Music,' where she shared, "V occasionally contacts me from the military," adding, " Since I've been going through this situation, he asked me if I was okay."

Meanwhile, HYBE filed an appeal on the 19th and is continuing to fight the court's decision.

Continue reading 'This looks similar...' V and Min Heejin's Kakao Talk messages submitted as evidence in the 'ILLIT-NewJeans copy allegations' trial

Hyuna ♥ Yong Junhyung spotted on a date ... After denying pregnancy rumors, Hyuna's changed style draws attention

SOURCE: 현아♥용준형, 데이트 포착…임신설 부인한 현아, 달라진 옷핏 '눈길'

Recently, a netizen posted a short video on Instagram along with the caption, "I saw Hyuna and Yong Junhyung at a shopping mall in Korea on the 17th." The video shows the couple looking around stores and enjoying their shopping time together.

Hyuna created a unique vibe by matching a pink over-sized coat with gray sweatpants, while Yong Junhyung caught attention with his casual look in a gray windbreaker and black pants. The two showed their affection as they chat naturally without seeming worried about the people around them.

In particular, HyunA's changed look also drew attention. She appeared somewhat fuller than usual because of her over-sized coat, drawing various reactions online.

Previously, there were rumors of pregnancy after photos of Hyuna and Yong Junhyung at the airport were released, with some people pointing to changes in her figure. In response, Hyuna personally addressed the rumors by posting an old photo on her social media, saying, "Hyuna-ya, you ate too much. Get it together and go on a diet. You used to like being super skinny. Let's try again."

Later, on the 4th, she shared a photo along with the caption, "It’s really hard to change the first digit from the high 50s. I still have a long way to go," revealing that she had lost about 10kg.

Continue reading Hyuna ♥ Yong Junhyung spotted on a date ... After denying pregnancy rumors, Hyuna's changed style draws attention

"HYBE betrayed Min Heejin first with media play" Court gives harsh criticism

SOURCE: [단독] "하이브, 언플로 먼저 민희진 배신" 재판부 작심 비판

HYBE has 'completely lost' in the shareholder agreement lawsuit against Min Heejin. The court rejected most of HYBE's claims and emphasized that HYBE was the one who damaged the trust first. Notably, the court also pointed out HYBE's aggressive media play, which has been constantly criticized by people in the industry.

According to the first trial verdict obtained by this paper on the 20th, the Seoul Central District Court stated that HYBE was the first to bring the conflict to the public. In other words, HYBE started the media play first.

■ “HYBE started media play first... HYBE is the one who broke the trust”

The court stated, "The protest emails sent by Min Heejin’s side on April 3 and April 16, 2024 showed that the conflict remained internal. However, HYBE’s exclusive news report on April 22, 2024 made the conflict completely public." They added, "Min Heejin’s press conference that was held that same day appears to be based on her right to defend herself."

The court also pointed out that the timing of HYBE's audit and the media reports overlapped. The court said, "On April 22, 2024, HYBE launched an audit for ADOR. They demanded Min Heejin to resign from the CEO position and began the process to fire her." They noted, "On the same day, an exclusive article was reported with the title 'HYBE Launches Sudden Audit on ADOR, the Agency of NewJeans.'"

The court continued, "Although HYBE claimed Min Heejin would have used NewJeans to sell ADOR shares at a low price and take the loss, there appears to be no evidence that HYBE had identified this in advance and taken proper action."

Most importantly, the court explicitly stated that the decline in HYBE's stock price was caused by their own excessive media play.

The court said, "HYBE's stock price dropped significantly (7.8%) on April 22, 2024. This decline seems to be the result of the conflict becoming public through the exclusive article and the heated battle that followed." They added, "In their breach-of-duty complaint, HYBE claimed a loss of 800 billion KRW in market value, which seems to reflect this stock trend."

■ “Nothing more than private talk without action” ... Claims of ‘management takeover’ and ‘stealing NewJeans’ claims all rejected

The court did not accept most of HYBE's arguments.

Regarding HYBE's claim that ‘Min Heejin tried to steal management rights,’ the court said, "It is true that she looked for ways to weaken HYBE's control over ADOR and to rule the agency independently. However, these were plans she made on the condition that her contract negotiations failed and assuming she had the owner's consent after exercising er 'put option' rights in 2025. The court ruled, "Simply looking for ways to make ADOR independent can not be seen as a serious violation of the shareholders' agreement."

The court also dismissed HYBE's claim that 'Min Heejin tried to steal NewJeans.' The court stated, "A director’s actions are within their management freedom, so she cannot be held responsible for damages to the company."

In other words, the court judged that the 'betrayal' HYBE claimed: 1. was just a casual conversation that wasn't put into action, 2. was only a hypothetical scenario based on HYBE's consent, and 3. that HYBE broke the trust by hastily launching an audit and leaking it to the media.

■ The truth behind the “ILLIT is a NewJeans copycat” controversy

Additionally, the court also judged Min Heejin's suspicion that 'ILLIT copied NewJeans' as a fair opinion. The court said, "Her claim wasn't about specific items, but that ILLIT's overall impression is similar to NewJeans. This is an expression of opinion or judgment, not a statement of fact."

The court also accepted Kakao Talk messages between BTS' V and Min Heejin as evidence. At the time, V reportedly said, "(People always talk about plagiarism, it never stops) Sigh... I know right. I also saw it and thought 'this looks similar...'" Furthermore, the court acknowledged that HYBE's Chairman, Bang Sihyuk, produced ILLIT's debut album.

■ “NewJeans value is 2 trillion KRW, same level as BLACKPINK” ... Recognition of Min Heejin’s achievements

The court even compared NewJeans to BLACKPINK, stating, "The only comparable girl group is BLACKPINK," and estimated that, "The fair value of ADOR within two years could reach 2 trillion KRW."

The court also noted, "Min Heejin's side had estimated ADOR's market value at 0.8 to 1.5 trillion KRW in early 2024. They compared NewJeans to BLACKPINK, noting that YG reached a peak market value of 1.8 trillion KRW because of BLACKPINK, before declining amid contract renewal risks. The 2 trillion KRW estimate assumes that the alliance between NewJeans, Min Heejin, and HYBE continues."

The court also accepted Min Heejin’s criticisms of HYBE as evidence.

During a meeting with HYBE on January 25, 2024, Min Heejin said, "If you have a conscience, stop exploiting them. Ever since NewJeans debuted, everyone inside and outside the company is copying them. PLEDIS, BELIFT Lab, everyone is all copying NewJeans." She added, "Former CEO Park Jiwon told me they're desperate to make a 'male NewJeans' and that I should make a boy group. In this situation, why would I be crazy enough to make a boy group when I know everything will be taken from me like this?"

Regarding this, the court quoted a document explaining why she was cleared of charges on breach of trust, mentioning that her actions were caused by resentment of semi-illegal practices, such as pushing high first-week album sales and copying between subsidiaries.

Because of this ruling, HYBE must pay Min Heejin and others 25.6 billion KRW for stock payments. On the other hand, all of HYBE's claims were dismissed. HYBE submitted an appeal on the 19th and is continuing to fight the court's decision.

Continue reading "HYBE betrayed Min Heejin first with media play" Court gives harsh criticism