As the battle between HYBE and ADOR’s CEO Min Hee Jin intensifies, the parents of NewJeans members have reportedly hired a top entertainment lawyer to represent their children.
Following the reports on May 18 about NewJeans filing a petition with the court, it seems that their parents have taken further action.
According to music industry sources on May 19, the parents of NewJeans members appointed entertainment specialist lawyer Kang Jin Seok on May 14, ahead of the court date for the injunction filed by CEO Min to prohibit the exercise of voting rights.
Kang clarified that his role is limited to filing the petition and he has been entrusted with that responsibility. While it is presumed that the contents of the petition support CEO Ador Min Heejin, he did not explicitly state whether the parents intend to file for termination of the NewJeans’ exclusive contract.
New Jeans’ parents, represented by Attorney Kang, have filed a court petition allegedly expressing their desire to work with CEO Min. This move comes after they had previously emailed HYBE management, expressing concerns about the striking similarities between NewJeans’ concept and that of ILLIT.
This email was sent before the current dispute came to light and the audit was conducted.
Attorney Kang has significant experience helping celebrities with contract issues. He has reviewed and ended unfair contracts, helped celebrities get compensation when companies broke contrats, and sued entertainment companies to get back investments.
He shared this information on his blog, showing his expertise in handling celebrity contract disputes.
Now that NewJeans’ parents have hired a lawyer who specializes in entertainment disputes, some people think the group might be fighting against their contract with HYBE.
This is happening while HYBE is trying to replace ADOR’s management, including CEO Min, at a special meeting on May 31.
The court will likely make a decision about the contract dispute before that meeting happens.