{
  "id": 18471969,
  "title": "Min Hee-jin's side says HYBE had final say over NewJeans contracts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/min-hee-jins-side-says-hybe-had-final-say-over-newjeans-contracts",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T09:02:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20261106/min-hee-jins-side-says-hybe-had-final-say-over-newjeans-contracts"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Min Hee-jin, the ex-CEO of Ador and current representative of OAKK Records, has asserted that HYBE, the parent company of NewJeans, ultimately held the authority to approve the group's exclusive contracts. When confronted with allegations of unfair contract terms in foreign media, Min Hee-jin's representative released a statement on Thursday, challenging HYBE to take responsibility and strive for improvement in the future of K-pop. The statement criticized HYBE for attempting to place the blame on its subsidiary, highlighting that the final decision on contracts required approval from HYBE's CEO. This dispute emerged after a report by The New York Times revealed that NewJeans members, who were minors at the time, signed contracts containing provisions deemed unfair. Both HYBE and Ador responded by stating they had subsequently signed supplementary agreements to incorporate basic human rights protections into the contracts. They also emphasized that the revised wording had been finalized.",
  "summary": "In response to foreign media reports that group NewJeans' exclusive contract contained unfair clauses, HYBE has stated that former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin was the contracting party at the time. In response, Min Hee-jin, the representative of OAKK Records and former CEO of Ador, countered that HYBE held the final approval authority. \"It is time for HYBE to move beyond the absurd notion that Min…",
  "key_points": [
    "HYBE, NewJeans' parent company, had final authority over contracts.",
    "Min Hee-jin's rep accused HYBE of placing blame on subsidiary.",
    "Both HYBE and Ador signed supplementary agreements for human rights protections."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Shifting the accountability from the subsidiary to the parent company challenges the narrative that Ador operated independently regarding the controversial contract terms signed by the NewJeans members.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}