Why I think MIN HEE JIN is _____

thoughts on the Hybe-ADOR debacle

*this post does not address legal issues as HYBE has yet to fully disclose evidence against Min

Now, where to start with this Hitman Bang vs. Min Hee Jin fiasco. It’s a mess so let’s clarify who’s arguing what:

Bang: Min Hee Jin conspired to take over ADOR and exit HYBE with NewJeans. How dare she after all the support I gave her!

(*note: HYBE invested $11.7 million in ADOR in 2021)

Min: HYBE is set on kicking me out because Bang can’t swallow the unprecedented success I achieved with NewJeans

(*note: ADOR raked in $81 million (+491% YoY) in revenue last year, comprising 5.1% of HYBE’s total revenue; Source Music—LE SSERAFIM’s label—recorded $45 million (+167% YoY) or 2.8% of HYBE’s total revenue the same period).

Of course the arguments above have been simplified. However, they do capture the gist of what this ordeal is about. As much as this issue is embedded in legal matters, it is, at the end of the day, a fight about ego. Had this dispute been motivated solely by profit-related concerns, HYBE would not have declared war on ADOR just days before NewJeans’ next comeback. After all, ADOR is a (star) subsidiary under the HYBE brand house—ADOR’s success is essentially HYBE’s victory.

However, the current situation is akin to a person’s brain trying to cut off its right arm because the latter won’t move in a way the prefrontal cortex wants it (bear in mind that this is not a perfect analogy—I’ll explain why later). Is this good for the person? You know the answer.

What we have at our hands is a multi-faceted issue that warrants discussion on the following topics:

a) the risk inherent in HYBE’s multi-label system

b) opposing reactions to Min’s press conference: domestic vs. global

We have some juicy themes here so let’s kick off.

The risk inherent in HYBE’s multi-label system

One of HYBE’s PoDs—point of differentiation (ooh a consulting term)—is its multi-label system. Read the corporate’s IR reports and you’ll see this word peppered throughout. A multi-label system is predicated on the notion that individual labels (a.k.a subsidiaries) have the freedom to pursue different artistic visions and sounds, under the guidance of creative producers independent of a central controlling figure. Put simply, the multi-label system is grounded in decentralization. While the holding company—in this case HYBE—obviously exists, its predominant role is to ensure that all of its labels prosper without crossing over into another’s artistic domain. Cannibalism is a big no-no in business. In short, the multi-label system is designed to foster diversity.

some notes on the chart above: dates indicate when HYBE acquired or established a subsidiary while 2023 revenues for each label are listed at the bottom. A caveat: this chart does not fully list all of the artists managed by each label.

If you look at the chart above you’ll see the sublimity of HYBE’s vision: the erection of a K-pop empire spanning multiple artistic worlds. In this vision, fans are free to hop from one world to the next, just like how you would tap/scroll your way through YouTube or TikTok. Bearing in mind that HYBE’s business goal is to become a “lifestyle platform”, such a vision is indeed well aligned with corporate direction. What better way to justify an aggressive M&A strategy? However, the downside to this multi-label masterplan is that there are a few grey areas when it comes to actual management.

In order for the multi-label system to operate sustainably, HYBE and its subsidiaries need to keep within certain boundaries and maintain mutual respect for one another. While HYBE technically owns all of its labels, such ownership is not synonymous with full out top-down leadership; theoretically, Bang should not interfere with how each of the individual labels go about planning, designing and executing their creative worlds. Doing so would render the multi-label system defunct, and technically signal a return to the traditional method of one central figure dictating how all of the company’s artists should be branded—SM and YG are prime examples of the latter. One caveat is that HYBE is expected to intervene in a label’s operations if said subsidiary risks upsetting the multi-verse through cannibalization. Hence the irony surrounding the whole “ILLIT copied NewJeans” controversy—why would Bang release another girl group that looks eerily similar to NewJeans? In consulting jargon this is referred to as going against “brand architecture”. HYBE’s action is abnormal considering that holding companies are responsible for establishing and retaining a brand architecture that is conducive to the growth of all subsidiaries.

top left: NewJeans (2023 Chuseok); top right: ILLIT (2024 Seol); bottom left: IVE (2024 Seol); bottom right: STAYC (2024 Seol) while Min did not invent the idea of “idols in Hanbok”, she was technically the first to capture it in a dreamy editorial-like style. Overlooking the fact that Min started a trend, most people did mistake ILLIT for NewJeans when the Hanbok photos came out.

Conversely, labels, for all the freedom that they have at their hands, are obligated to nurture and manifest artistic visions that contribute to the group’s overall wellbeing. Labels that threaten the originality and longevity of another brand within the same multi-verse need to be rectified before it subsumes the other. As stated above, the purpose behind deploying a multi-label system is to achieve accelerated growth at scale. That last part will be hard to realize if labels engage in internal competition by putting forth overlapping brand propositions underpinned by similar concepts.

Now, it’s quite clear that Bang and Min have different angles on how a multi-label system should be run. Whereas Min believes in full artistic autonomy—as she was initially promised by Bang back in 2019—Bang still sees himself as an integral part of a label’s brand-building process. Min recalls how her relations with Bang soured after the two discovered that they couldn’t reconcile their viewpoints on how HYBE’s first girl group should be branded (i.e. Bang suggested that they benchmark Billie Eilish…). Min posits that her refusal to submit to Bang’s artistic direction, which in her eyes would be a blatant dismissal of the multi-label system, is what triggered a series of events that would ultimate culminate in this ordeal. Bang:

1. reneges on his promise to allow Min to debut HYBE’s first girl group through the formation of LE SSERAFIM

2. refuses Min permission to relocate the then-trainees Minji, Dani, Hani, Hyerin to ADOR without HYBE owning 100% of the label’s shares

3. does not allow ADOR to promote NewJeans as a “Min Hee Jin group” so that the public mistakes LE SSERAFIM for being said group

4. snarkily texts Min “Happy aren’t you” after seeing NewJeans enter the Billboard charts six months within debuting (btw according to Min, Bang never congratulated NewJeans’ on their debut)

The list of grievances go on but the bottom line here is that Bang is not at all supportive towards Min. From the lens of corporate management, Bang’s hostility towards ADOR is mind blowing. This is where I would like to circle back to my earlier analogy of a brain trying to cut off its right arm. Under a traditional one-label business model, Bang is right to enforce his idiosyncratic style over all the K-pop brands under the HYBE umbrella and Min has no choice but to accept the results (she wouldn’t even be a CEO in this situation); the brain wields full control over all the parts of a human’s body and the arm cannot sever itself from the central control center. However, the story changes against a multi-label context. In this scenario, the brain grants autonomy to each arm and limb on the premise that such independence facilitates strong, rapid growth of the entire body. We all know that in reality this analogy doesn’t stand—we can’t have our arms and legs going their separate ways.

Regardless, the point is that ADOR is part of the HYBE family. Having the brain try to cut off an adamant arm out of personal spite undermines the legitimacy of the multi-label system—how will such a system be sustained if labels feel pressured to curb their artistry in front of an authoritative figure? Min states during her press conference that HYBE’s other labels (i.e. BELIFT) are afraid to challenge Bang’s involvement in areas that should be left to the artistic discretion of independent creative directors.

The Bang vs. Min showdown reveals how HYBE’s multi-label system is riddled with contradiction and raises questions regarding its sustainability.

Opposing reactions to Min’s press conference

Almost everyone was consuming Min’s press conference in some shape or form on Thursday evening (the 25th). It got to a point where I felt like I could just tap someone on the metro and ask if they would kindly share the screen. Min’s speech, which was interspersed with vitriolic remarks against HYBE’s leadership team and heart-aching recollections of the hardships NewJeans had to endure, was riveting to say the least. Public sentiment towards Min completely changed following her two-hour diatribe. Koreans who previously criticized Min of greed and hubris quickly changed their stance to one of heartfelt respect and support. Her rather unfiltered outbursts against HYBE were coined the “epitome of hip-hop” and a YouTube compilation titled “Min’s Freestyle Rap” garnered over 1.5 million views overnight. Of course an anti-Min party still existed, calling for HYBE to oust her before the company’s shares plunged any further in value. Notwithstanding all this, Min succeeded in excising herself from the villainous frame HYBE was trying to box her in. If anything, the public now suspects HYBE of engaging in foul play.

K-speed at work: someone prints Min’s face onto a T-shirt two days after the press conference—is this hip?

On the other side of the world, people are not so receptive towards Min. There is the obvious shock of seeing a C-level figure release her pent up frustration in the most crude way possible—Koreans would be equally taken aback if they saw Mark Zuckerberg or Bernard Arnault recite a string of incorrigible phrases at a Meta or LVMH event. However, more importantly, non-Korean negativity towards Min is triggered by two factors: her “motherly” relationship with NewJeans and explicit criticism towards ILLIT’s creative team. While it’s always helpful to take online negativity with a grain of salt, as extremism thrives on the Internet, a perusal through several forums reveals a strong anti-Min sentiment.

Now, what’s causing this stark contrast in reaction? To argue that Koreans are emotionally soft whereas non-Koreans are strictly rational is a dangerous generalization that overlooks important cultural differences.

To get to the bottom of this, attention should be directed towards how Koreans and non-Koreans regard the following:

a) the MOTHER figure

b) achievement

Both phrases are fairly conceptual so let’s ground them using some examples.

Min’s MOTHER image

From the start, Min has proclaimed herself to be “NewJean’s mother”.

“I feel like I gave birth [to NewJeans]”

The phrase is obviously metaphorical and those who know the agony of transposing a creative idea into reality will most likely understand the sentiment underlying such a self-spun title. This much I assume even non-Koreans to be able to emphasize with. The “problem”, so to speak, arises due to Min publicizing her proximity with NewJeans at a personal level. To an extent, it’s natural for Min to be close with the girls. Just like how Bang is close with BTS. The pattern of work relationships turning into personal friendships amongst co-workers, directors, staff, etc. is a transnational occurrence—just look at Hollywood—so I’m going to assume that people don’t have qualms about this. However, the issue of predatory figures exploiting others under the guise of friendship or mentorship is a serious problem. This last point is where Korean vs. non-Korean perception seems to diverge in public opinion regarding Min.

For most Koreans, Min’s attachment to NewJeans overlaps with the image of a dedicated mother. She has proven again and again—through beautifully executed MVs, interviews outlining her philosophy for the maturing girls, her decision to allow each NewJeans member to pick out furniture for their dorm—that she wants the utmost best for them. In other words, Min is ready to achieve the unprecedented and never-before-seen for and through the girls. Her sincerity is palpable in the groundbreaking work that she produces; the music videos for “Hype Boy” and “Ditto” are historical turning points within the music industry. A multi-sided music video in K-pop did not exist prior to NewJeans (at least to my knowledge). Of course, some could argue that Min is simply crazy about her career and is using the girls like a Barbie play set, but she dispels such doubt when she speaks about NewJeans. People feel the genuity in her voice, her expressions, her eyes.

As I discussed previously in the NewJeansverse post, Min has purposely designed the NewJeans omniverse to center around the girls’ growth as they juggle deification with their humanness. Such a story is the antithesis of an industry narrative that commodifies idols by confining them to an image of perfection. That Min wants to preserve the girls’ innocence and humanness, instead of manufacturing an artificial image for them, intimates how she views NewJeans as individuals, not dispensable tools. To many Koreans, Min’s wholehearted appreciation for NewJeans manifests in the concepts that bring out the girls’ naturalness—if this isn’t the definition of motherly affection, then what is?

In short, Min embodies the Korean trope of an impassioned (artistic) mother. While not all moms are artists, Korean moms are certainly renowned—or are notorious for—giving it their all to ensure that their children “succeed”. This mission is emblazoned across their faces when they scour the city for the perfect daycare or cram school. English education starts at an early age perhaps three or four years old, because moms feel an obligation to enroll their child in a prestigious English-speaking nursery school where they can befriend other well raised children. This essentially marks the start of a decades-long journey of academic support, during which Korean moms go to extreme lengths to ensure that their child or children have access to the best environment and resources. It is not unusual for Korean moms to give up their identities as individuals and allow their “mother” role to consume them completely. Everything is done with the child’s best interests in mind. As such, many Koreans associate Mother figures as being emblematic of resilience and sacrifice. If you apply this lens onto Min and the history she recounted last Thursday, you’ll see that she ticks off both boxes. In the eyes of most Koreans, Min is indeed NewJeans’ artistic mother and a figure who would not utilize them for personal gain.

Meanwhile, international spectators think differently of Min’s relationship with NewJeans. Instead of viewing it as “motherly” they denounce it as being “creepy” or “unsettling” that a forty year old woman is trying to integrate herself into the lives of five teenage girls. That Min sometimes posts images of the girls and the gifts that they or their immediate family members send her (i.e. letters, drawings) onto Instagram doesn’t help her image. Most non-Koreans simply view her as a producer. It’s almost like seeing John Janick, the CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, to which Avicci, BTS, Olivia Rodrigo are signed, reveal on social media that he exchanges Christmas cards and cookies with Jungkook’s cousin and receives handwritten letters from Olivia’s mom. The sudden jump from corporate executive to cookie-swapping family friend is not something the public is accustomed to witnessing and without context, is a tad-bit weird. If we zero in on this weirdness—or to be more specific, why we think it’s weird—one word comes to mind: excessive.

It’s okay to be close with a celebrity that you work with on a daily basis. However, it’s excessive to be close with a celebrity AND his or her parents and cousins. While I do feel that there are varying degrees of proximity, the level at which Min is intimate with the NewJeans’ immediate family members and beyond strikes international audiences as unnecessary. Without any background context, it is easy to assume that Min is establishing rapport with NewJeans and the girls’ families with self-serving goals in mind. Currently, the most prominent theory stipulates that Min is proselytizing NewJeans’ parents so that, if the need arises, she can exit HYBE with the girls. Hence the comparison between FIFTY FIFTY and NewJeans, albeit I argue that the two have differing contexts; HYBE hasn’t yet revealed any concrete evidence regarding Min’s attempts to “takeover” ADOR.

Returning to the initial point, no one knows for sure exactly why Min is so close with the girls’ parents, cousins, long-lost cousins, etc. or whether she is as close as she makes it seem on social media. My take is that Min is trying to re-inject a bit of humanity into an industry where people are treated more liked replaceable commodities than actual people. Trainees get replaced by other trainees all the time. By establishing close connections with the girls’ parents, Min is able to reassure them that their children are safe with her—that she will not “use” them like pawns on a chess board. However, without proper understanding of the Mother figure that exists in Korean folklore, it is easy to label Min as a control freak who wants everything related to NewJeans within her sphere of control.

To sum up what’s been said so far, Koreans are sympathetic towards Min because she recalls to mind the image of a devoted Mother. Her track record up till now and the zeal with which she voiced concern for NewJeans at her press conference mediates to the public that her passion is genuine. In contrast, international fans, who are not accustomed to an aggressive motherly figure pursuing only the best for her children, construe Min’s relationship with NewJeans as being excessive and obsessive. Min is not a mom who drops her children off at a piano studio to have some afternoon me-time. Min is a mom who will track down the best piano teacher in the area for her kids and sit through the lesson together. Whether team Korea or team international is right is not important. The key takeaway here is that differing cultural perceptions of a sacrificial Mother figure prompts local and global audiences to develop opposing stances towards Min.

Differing perceptions of achievement

Continuing the line of thought on cultural differences, Korea’s perception of “achievement” is different from that of the West. Whereas Americans and Europeans consider progress to be an achievement, Koreans define the same term based on the quality of an outcome. In other words, Koreans have the tendency to place more weight on the result as opposed to the process. This difference in perception is most noticeable in debates such as the one surrounding LE SSERAFIM’s performance at Coachella and ILLIT’s debut. Whereas Koreans harshly criticized the former for their less than perfect “off-pitch” performance and the latter for their “struggling encore vocals”, international fans adopted a more embracive attitude towards both girl groups. Many non-Korean fans retort that LE SSERAFIM succeeded in delivering an energetic performance to the crowd at Coachella, regardless of how off-pitch they sounded, while ILLIT still has room to improve considering their young age (note: the copying issue is a whole different topic). The patterns are clear here. Koreans determine the success of an event or endeavor based on an objective standard anchored to the present (i.e. is idol A a good signer?). Conversely, international fans are more lenient towards the present and focus their sights on the future potential of a K-pop group (i.e. does group B have the room to change or pivot?)

Keeping such attitude differences in mind, it’s not surprising that Min’s bitterness towards ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM elicits sympathy from a Korean audience while offending people elsewhere. Min’s accusation that ILLIT copied NewJeans and her unresolved beef towards LE SSERAFIM debuting as HYBE’s first girl group has provoked contrasting reactions from local and global fans. To clarify, Min has nothing against the actual idols themselves. Her anger is directed towards BELIFT and HYBE management. Unfortunately, quite a few people seem to conflate the two, leading to uncalled confusion.

We, however, have got the issue straight, so let’s continue.

Min’s criticism towards ILLIT is well received by Koreans for a two-fold reason. ILLIT’s styling, choreography, photo shoots, etc. are highly reminiscent of NewJeans—according to most locals—and their singing during live encore stages could benefit from increased stability. Combine the two factors and you give most Koreans a reason to think that BELIFT, under Bang’s direction, rushed to produce a near cookie-cutter version of NewJeans. In other words, ILLIT’s debut achieved little, asides from the title “NewJeans lookalike”. If we flip the coin around though, global ILLIT fans aren’t happy that Min is dissing a newbie group and hindering their growth. ILLIT is a fledgling group that, in their eyes, has the potential to further develop a unique brand distinct from that of NewJeans. Whether this is possible, we will have to see.

A similar yet slightly different logic applies to the Korean public’s stance towards LE SSERAFIM and Min’s grievances towards them. The quintet was fairly popular until recently when clips of them performing live surfaced on YouTube. Most of the clips highlight the girls at their worst moments on stage where they look nervous while performing live. Such clips caused locals to become disillusioned with LE SSERAFIM’s image of being a resilient, impervious woman, and this skepticism exploded following the group’s performance at Coachella. Fans were obviously not happy about this. I also feel that some criticism was essentially hate-speech. Not good. Anyway, Min practically added fuel to the fire by directly calling out HYBE for debuting LE SSERAFIM before NewJeans. Locals began to speculate that the quintet’s poor vocal abilities are due to Source Music not giving the girls enough time to train (as Bang wanted to debut them before NewJeans), thus triggering a whole new wave of negativity towards the group. Once again, global fans are less than elated about this and blame Min for throwing LE SSERAFIM under the bus. While I’m not too convinced by this latter argument, I will say that Min made both friends and enemies on the day of her press conference.

In short, Min is more well-received in Korea because her criticism towards ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM resonates with a local audience accustomed to defining achievements based on tangible results. From this angle, neither ILLIT nor LE SSERAFIM conforms to the Korean idea of “success” and merely underscores the fragility of HYBE’s multi-label operations. Conversely, global audiences—especially fandoms—decry Min’s actions as being selfish and inconsiderate in that she interferes with the growth and expansion of a fairly nascent K-pop brand while further tarnishing the reputation of another (regardless of intent).

WHY I THINK MIN HEE JIN IS _____

This is my longest post yet and I’m going to wrap it up here. You’ve all come on a long journey with me, so thank you if you’re still reading this.

As mentioned in the intro, the conflict between Bang and Min is complicated and will do damage to both parties, regardless of the outcome. That being said, I sincerely wish that nothing bad happens to NewJeans at the end of all this. Or to any of the artists mentioned in today’s post.

We deep-dived into the operational risks inherent in HYBE’s multi-label structure and explored why Korean and global audiences have contrasting reactions towards Min, with such differences stemming from cultural lacunas surrounding the idea of a sacrificial Mother and success. While it is too early to say whether Bang or Min erred more in instigating this feud, one thing is for certain: Min Hee Jin is CULTURE. Nearly everything she produces—artists, goods, and now a speech—leaves an indelible mark on the local culture and redefines the status quo across multiple scenes. How else can anyone explain why lawyers, politicians, the public are touting Min as being the nation’s number one hipster? There you go, she did it again. She redefined what it means to be “cool” and gave birth to another trend.