Mothers of NewJeans members allege HYBE deleted security footage related to harassment claims, raising concerns about accountability.
October/7/2024 19:41
The mother of a NewJeans member claimed that HYBE deleted part of the security camera footage. Today (7th), according to a report by Nikkan Sports, the mother of NewJeans repeatedly requested security camera footage related to 'harassment within the company' from HYBE. In response, HYBE reportedly said, 'The related footage has disappeared and is no longer available.' Previously, on the 11th of last month, during an emergency live broadcast, Hani revealed, 'Recently, there was an incident. At a place where we frequently encounter other groups for hair and makeup, I encountered members and managers of other groups, but the manager told me, loud enough for me to hear, to 'ignore them,' exposing harassment within the company.' In response, Minji added, 'We informed the company, but they took no action, and instead of an apology, they did not even acknowledge the mistake.' The mother of member A stated, 'Hani's mother first spoke to the other members' mothers at the end of May,' explaining that 'from May to June, when issues between HYBE and former representative Min Hee-jin were becoming active, we protested to the newly appointed CEO Kim Juyoung and the changed board of directors of ADOR about this fact, requesting measures to prevent recurrence.' She also claimed, 'They only dragged out time, searching for the security camera footage of the main scene of the problem, and the answer we received was that there was no evidence.' Furthermore, she stated, 'It has been four months since the problem arose. We raised the issue in May, but there was no sign of resolution, and we finally checked the security camera footage.' She added, 'There were not just one or two strange points. We raised this issue immediately after the incident. There are records left in emails, yet we received the answer that the security camera footage is deleted after 30 days.' The mother of A expressed anger, saying, 'It wasn't that there was no footage from the day of the incident at all. The times when the artist and manager appear are important, yet we were told that all footage from other time slots was deleted. Why is it that only non-problematic scenes remain? It felt like we were being mocked, and it was unpleasant.' The mother of member B conveyed her frustration, saying, 'When I asked, 'Why was that scene deleted?' I was told it was deleted by someone who has left the company, so they didn't know the reason. The security team used their superior as an excuse, and the superior blamed it on the person who left, it was a mess.' The mothers of NewJeans expressed concern that such issues occur in blind spots that others do not understand, fearing that they may be concealed over time, and they have significant worries about the lives of the children within HYBE. In response to this, HYBE stated, 'We are thoroughly confirming the facts.' Previously, on the 30th of last month, the Environment and Labor Committee voted to request the attendance of Kim Juyoung, the former CHRO of HYBE and current representative of ADOR, as a witness regarding the 'harassment within the company' issue, and also requested Hani of NewJeans to attend as a reference. The national audit is scheduled to be held on the 25th.
Related Articles
NewJeans’ Hanni partly won a damages lawsuit against two netizens who posted insulting and defamatory comments about her. A Seoul court ordered each defendant to pay 100,000 won, saying their remarks were abusive and personal attacks. The court also noted Hanni herself had not acted in a socially blameworthy way.
Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin won a damages lawsuit brought by BELIFT LAB creative director Huh over her 2024 claims that ILLIT copied NewJeans. The court dismissed the claims, saying the evidence did not show Shin, the former ADOR vice president, was involved, and that Huh was not clearly identified as the defamation victim. Huh later abandoned the appeal, making the ruling final and leaving court costs to him.
On the afternoon of the 7th, NewJeans’ Hae-rin attended a Dior event held at AVENUEL in Lotte Department Store, Jamsil, Seoul. After resolving her conflict with her agency ADOR and returning to the group, she made her first official public appearance, drawing attention.
ADOR said NewJeans’ 2023 song “Super Shy” has reached 900,048,067 Spotify streams. It is the group’s third track to surpass 900 million, following “OMG” and “Ditto.” The song was a hit on Billboard’s HOT100 and the UK Official Singles Chart, and the group’s total streams are nearing 8 billion.
NewJeans’ Danielle uploaded her first video to her personal YouTube channel, saying she was in Australia and felt a little awkward being alone. She shared that she missed her hometown, nature, the sea, and her family, and said she spent meaningful time with them, eating home-cooked meals and visiting the city and beach. She then revealed plans to begin her first solo journey. The video drew major attention, reaching about 1.8 million views in a day and nearly 300,000 subscribers. Meanwhile, she remains in a legal dispute with ADOR, and NewJeans members are resuming activities through self-produced content and magazine shoots.
NewJeans’ Hyein shared a recent update through Harper’s BAZAAR KOREA, posing in a cover shoot and revealing that she celebrated turning 19 by wearing a school uniform and going to an amusement park. The article also notes NewJeans’ ongoing contract dispute and members’ returns to ADOR.
Hae-rin from NewJeans has embarked on her first solo activities after returning to ADOR, making her debut on the cover of 'marie claire' September issue. In a video greeting, she expressed excitement about reuniting with the magazine and shooting for the issue. This marks a significant step in her career following the group's contract disputes with ADOR.
Daniel from NewJeans was recently spotted at church, smiling and speaking into a microphone. This comes as he continues legal battles with ADOR over a contract dispute, with ADOR seeking 431 billion won in damages. Meanwhile, other members express their intent to return to ADOR, while Minji is still in negotiations.
On the morning of the 16th, Park Bo-gum and Jinusean's Sean participated in the 2026 TNF 100 KOREA international trail running event in Gangwon-do, Gangneung. Park Bo-gum completed his first 10km marathon, and Sean shared a commemorative photo, praising the experience as 'very wonderful.'
Min Hee-jin and BELIFT LAB are embroiled in a legal battle regarding accusations of copying NewJeans. The court proceedings have highlighted the conflicting narratives from both parties, with Min Hee-jin claiming her comments were made under duress, while BELIFT LAB argues they were made for personal gain. The court has called for a swift resolution, emphasizing the complexity of the case.
