Amid the recent scrutiny surrounding HYBE‘s internal documents and their alleged derogatory remarks on other K-pop companies and artists, former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin has come forward with her honest perspective on the issue. Having seen the documents firsthand, Min shared her thoughts and response to the reports, providing an insider’s viewpoint that sheds light on her concerns for the industry.

Min Hee Jin’s Initial Reaction to the Documents

In a candid conversation on Kim Young Dae’s School of Music YouTube channel, Min disclosed that, though she initially refrained from commenting on the documents for a year, she eventually found herself compelled to respond directly. Sharing her frustration, she described her reaction upon reviewing the document:

“I held back for a whole year, but I can’t take this anymore. What are you all doing?! For whose benefit are these reports being written? Do you all find this entertaining or something?” — Min Hee Jin

For Min, these documents represented something far more troubling than just industry gossip or criticism; they illustrated a pattern she felt could have severe consequences for K-pop. With detailed and repeated scrutiny of rival companies and artists, the documents appeared to her as both unnecessary and damaging, leading her to issue a scathing email to HYBE.

Why Min Hee Jin Eventually Stopped Reading the Documents

Min explained that, over time, reading these documents became too stressful for her. The nature of the content eventually led her to completely distance herself from them. She expressed her confusion over their purpose and described how they left her feeling perplexed and exasperated:

“It ended up stressing me out so much that I stopped reading them at all… Who was it serving? I could not understand.” — Min Hee Jin

Concerns for the Industry and Newcomers to K-Pop Entertainment

A key reason behind Min’s discomfort with the reports lay in her concern for the larger K-pop industry. She explained that many individuals entering the business might view these documents as educational material, which could fundamentally alter how they perceive and engage with the industry. She shared her fears over the potential impact on new hires who might take these reports at face value, adopting biased perspectives as industry norms.

But what really scared me about that document was… Given how big the business has grown, there was a lot of people who don’t really know anything about the industry practices being hired. Some of them have taken up higher-up, C-level positions, too. And all those people were learning about the entertainment business through that document, basically. That terrified me.

And the thing is, people who are just starting out tend to learn to believe and do as they’re told. So, for these people to be given material like that? What would that do to the entertainment industry in the long run? Maybe these people might think something is a little off at first. But people adjust. They might think, ‘Maybe I’m the weird one’ or ‘Maybe this is how this industry works.’ I’m just saying, that document could have developed some really wrong perceptions.

— Min Hee Jin

Min noted that people in influential roles, some at C-level positions, were coming into K-pop without prior knowledge of its specific cultural nuances. For them, this document might serve as a blueprint, setting a dangerous precedent for the industry’s future. This possibility weighed heavily on Min, reinforcing her desire to halt the practice entirely.

Min had hoped that her criticism would stop the reports—though, she was the one who got stopped in her track in the following series of events.

Response from HYBE’s CEO Lee Jae Sang

Following Min’s vocal criticism, HYBE’s CEO Lee Jae Sang issued a formal apology. He admitted that the documents lacked awareness of their broader implications and confirmed that, as a result, the creation of future reports of this nature had been stopped. Lee’s statement acknowledged the validity of Min’s concerns and the need for more thoughtful approaches within the company.

Watch the full live broadcast here:

To let you know the latest developments about HYBE and ADOR, keep an eye on VvipTimes, and allow notifications from us to get instant updates on your device.