Has Min Hee Jin Left NJZ (NewJeans) To Face HYBE Alone? Scathing Article Goes Viral

A recent article from MediaUs has ignited heated debate online, claiming that Min Hee Jin has stepped away from the public fight against HYBE and left NJZ to face the legal battle on their own.

The piece argues that the dispute — originally framed as “Min Hee Jin vs. HYBE” — shifted to “NJZ vs. ADOR” after the group’s emergency live broadcast. From that point forward, Min disappeared from the spotlight while the girls took the lead in defending their position.

Min’s absence from the legal battle is reportedly due to her dismissal as ADOR’s CEO, which now classifies her as an outsider in the conflict. Any direct involvement with NJZ could be perceived as interference, potentially damaging her legal standing.

The moment the dispute shifted from “Min Hee Jin vs. HYBE” to “NewJeans vs. ADOR” was during [the groups’ YouTube] live broadcast.

After that, Min Hee Jin completely disappeared from the front lines, and NewJeans took center stage, continuing the fight. Since she was dismissed as ADOR’s CEO and became a third party in this matter, any further involvement in NewJeans’ decisions could raise suspicions of “tampering” — contacting artists still under contract — which could weaken her legal position. This is why NewJeans, who had always operated under Min’s influence, suddenly had to present themselves as “independent idols.”

Meanwhile, reports surfaced that Min was secretly meeting with external business figures and had even met with one of the NewJeans members a day before their National Assembly hearing appearance.

— Yoon Kwang Eun

The article also critiques NJZ’s recent press conference, arguing that their impact paled in comparison to Min Hee Jin’s own conferences. While Min, as an executive, could command different tones and approaches, NewJeans, as young idols, were limited by their public image. The group attempted to portray themselves as victims of mistreatment seeking the return of their former leader, but their carefully crafted persona left them vulnerable to criticism.

NewJeans’ press conference failed to leave as strong an impression as Min Hee Jin’s own conference. Unlike Min, who, as a CEO and industry executive, could speak on a range of topics with different tones, the young female idols were confined within the image they had been given. They positioned themselves as victims of mistreatment, pleading for the return of their “rightful guardian.”

This is the inevitable result of the image that Min Hee Jin crafted for NewJeans—pure, passive girls. The moment any member strayed from that image, whether through their facial expressions or tone of voice, anti-fans seized the opportunity to accuse them of being “disrespectful” or “rude to adults.” The constraints placed on Min’s movements and NewJeans’ failure to win over the public were key reasons why their external campaign ultimately did not succeed.

— Yoon Kwang Eun

In the article’s comments, netizens have praised the analysis and even pitched in with their own thoughts on Min Hee Jin’s actions.

• “Min Hee Jin’s greed ruined everything.”
• “Was Min Hee Jin’s goal to ruin the kids? Is that her way of getting revenge on HYBE?”
• “Why is everyone saying there’s no winner? HYBE, the victim who was blindsided by Min Hee Jin’s attack, is set to receive over ₩600 billion KRW (about $409 million USD) in compensation. They’ll win in court, too. As for the “MinJeans,” they’ll struggle for a lifetime trying to pay off their penalties.”
• “I really enjoyed reading this. Thank you for the great article.”
• “Min Hee Jin is currently legally restricted from contacting NewJeans. What’s the issue? Even if she tried to approach them, nothing would change.”