NewJeans’ MV Director Reopens Iconic Ban Hee Soo Channel, Flames HYBE For Their Lies
In September 2024, a feud between Dolphiners Films and HYBE took place. Dolphiners Films and their CEO, director Shin Woo Seok, have been in charge of NewJeans‘ iconic MVs including “Ditto,” “ETA,” and more. As an extension of “Ditto,” Dolphiners Films have been operating the Ban Hee Soo YouTube channel, where they upload content for fans such as Director’s Cuts of the music video.
When the videos were suddenly deleted from the channel, fans were baffled. It was later revealed that the new management at ADOR had requested for Dolphiners Films to delete the videos and cease operation of the channel, claiming it to be an infringement of their artists’ portraiture rights. Later on, ADOR released a new statement where they claimed that they only asked Dolphiners Films to stop uploading to the account. Shin Woo Seok hit back on his personal Instagram account, calling the new ADOR management out for their lies. He claimed that they had a previous agreement with ADOR when the MVs were being made, claiming that ADOR threatened them into deleting the videos.
ADOR is the one who asked me to delete the videos, claiming that they contain the artists’ portraiture rights and hence can only be published on their official channel and not a third-party channel. They unilaterally sent a proof of contents [legal document] to request that if we do not delete the videos by Monday morning, they would be requesting twice the price of services from us as a fine for violating the contract. You guys already threatened us like this, so what are you saying now? Could it be that you guys only found out about the existence of Ban Heesoo’s channel after we deleted them?
— Shin Woo Seok
ADOR has since denied these claims time and time again. Shin Woo Seok uploaded yet another statement on September 10, 2024.
Every time I see your statements, it makes me furious. Why do you keep changing your story and lying when the issue could be resolved by simply acknowledging your mistake and apologizing? What does that make the recordings and emails we have? If you’re so clean, why are you trying to contact the person you claim is spreading false information and trying to convince them? When your employees tried to stop you, you ignored them, and now you’re blaming them? It was the management that acted with threats and coercion, so why are you making the employees scapegoats? Let me make it clear. All the content we uploaded and its channels were agreed upon. Just because the management changed doesn’t mean [these agreements] all disappear. Even the director’s cuts, which ADOR raised an issue with in their statement, was an agreement made by all three parties at the time, although we put in a request for minor tagline changes. There’s no issue with uploading the video even now. Despite this, ADOR is involving a third party for the sake of their own dispute and causing harm. We clearly informed ADOR through a separate message that the third party did not want to be involved, but they’re still distorting the situation and using the third party. Even now, the companies involved in the related project are suffering because of this petty behavior.
— Shin Woo Seok
He continued to call out ADOR for their lies. ADOR has been insisting that they never put the pressure on Dolphiners Films to shut down the channel and delete the previous videos, claiming to have only raised issue with the most recently uploaded Director’s Cut.
And in the official statement, why are you talking about some pure suffering of creators? There’s no such thing. Denying the original agreement and threatening with tens of billions in penalties—anyone, even Francis Ngannou (boxer), would be forced to delete the video. ADOR ordered immediate deletion; when did you request evidence? You raised issues with copyright and portraiture rights for content on non-official accounts, and now you’re changing your stance by only talking about the director’s cut? Are the kids appearing in other videos not NewJeans? If those videos hadn’t been deleted, what would ADOR have said? I can’t believe their attidude, lying even with evidence at hand.
— Shin Woo Seok
Shin Woo Seok came through at the end, shouldering all the responsibility in order to restore the Ban Hee Soo channel for fans.
Though it was a long time ago, we genuinely wanted to create a good project and approached the work with affection. I don’t understand why we have to suffer because of ADOR’s internal conflicts, but we gave up our legitimate rights under their threats and coercion. But even so, following their whimsically written official statement that the public has no way of verifying if it’s true or not, as long as we have evidence of the agreement, ADOR will definitely lose. I think it’s time to take things to court. From a legal standpoint, it’s an easy case. Ultimately, it seems like ADOR just wants to buy time and avoid public scrutiny. Since they haven’t apologized, we will release or submit the recordings, emails, and evidence we have, and file defamation lawsuits against CEO Ju Young Kim and Vice CEO Lee Do Kyung. Lastly, the Ban Hee Soo channel is currently legally owned by Dolphiners Crew. We are looking into ways to transfer the channel to the fans. ADOR stated in their statement yesterday that they are okay with Dolphiners Crew operating the Ban Hee Soo channel, but that is a blatant lie. Just a few days ago, they were trying to persuade us behind the scenes to hand over the Ban Hee Soo channel, and this was ADOR’s firm stance. According to them and their refusal to acknowledge the original agreement, there are issues with the video’s copyright and portraiture rights. This is nothing more than wordplay to deceive the public. Honestly, I thought everything would be resolved if we just provided a way out and asked for an apology, but I didn’t expect ADOR’s management, as an entertainment company, to make such a poor judgment even in front of the public. I also expected them to at least consider the artists they need to protect and the confused fans, but I guess I was wrong. Still, I don’t want to see the fans suffer any longer, and since ADOR refuses to take responsibility, I will take responsibility and open the Ban Hee Soo channel. If ADOR wants to file a lawsuit over this, go ahead. I’m opening the Ban Hee-soo channel now.
— Shin Woo Seok
With that, the Ban Hee Soo channel has been restored and fans can watch the video content again.
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