Former SM Entertainment employee defends Min Hee Jin amid her feud with HYBE

ADOR Director Min Hee Jin has recently been in the spotlight for her ongoing legal feud with HYBE. Min Hee Jin reportedly accused other K-Pop groups of copying her, consulted a shaman for business decisions and asked for the right to terminate the agreement NewJeans‘ one-sided contracting, without the need to go through HYBE, lying and more.

Min Hee Jin’s public image is mixed. Her nonchalant appearance and constant swearing during press conferences did not put her in the best light. Some people who worked with her before also didn’t speak highly of her. One said: “She’s the worst bad guy in the office… She’s such a crazy b*tch,” while others vowed never to work with her again.

I’m not kidding, why is min heejin so UNSERIOUS??!;;&&:@:&: pic.twitter.com/q786hEYiXa

— nei⁷ (@honeyjamnamjoon) April 25, 2024

However, not everyone who has worked with Min Hee Jin shares this sentiment. Former SM entertainment colleague David C., who has worked at the company for more than four years, has now spoken on her behalf. Over the years he has served as EVP Creative Contents and Producing, Head of Producing, Producer and A&R.

David recently wrote a lengthy post via LinkedIn responding to the “chaotic dispute between HYBE and Min Hee-jin.” He confessed that she was known as one “challenging person to work with” but she was a “trendsetter.”

After watching Min Hee-jin’s press conference, I wrote down my thoughts, experiences with her collaboration at SM, and my feelings about this chaotic dispute between HYBE and Min Hee-Jin. I would also like to convey my beliefs to HYBE officials.

During my time at SM, Min Hee-jin was known as a challenging person to work with. (Well, I was a difficult person to work with, too.) Yet she has been an authentic, artist-centered creative director, pioneering the visual direction and unique concepts of countless K-pop artists. A real trendsetter.

–David C.

He credits Min Hee Jin for his ‘reality check’, as she told him a project would fail. He eventually quit SM Entertainment and eventually “ventured into a music-related startup.”

When I launched SM Station (a digital music project that committed to releasing a digital single and a music video every Friday), I needed her confirmation regarding music video wardrobes. Her first words to me were: ‘This project will fail. Why are we even doing this?’ Despite my strong sense of pride, it felt more like a harsh reality check than a blow to my ego. Exceptional production requires steadfast artistry and thoughtful consideration of the message to the audience. But with the weekly releases, I found myself working tirelessly day and night to meet deadlines, forgetting the essentials and resorting to mechanical production. It dawned on me that I was only working for validation. It made me think about what I was really doing. Even years later, those words resonated, making me realize that I had been hesitant to pursue what I truly desired. Ultimately, feeling compelled to pursue my dreams, I left SM and ventured into a music-related startup.

–David C.

David realized she might seem “brash and unyielding” but is visionary. He believes that NewJeans‘ The success is not only due to HYBE, but also to the talent of Min Hee Jin.

Min Hee-jin may come across as brash and unyielding, but without her vision and efforts, NewJeans would not exist. It’s not just about HYBE’s resources; it’s unthinkable without Min Hee-jin. It is a well-known fact among music industry insiders that Bang Si-hyuk embraced her because he highly appreciated Min Hee-jin’s vision and talent.

–David C.

David concluded with a speech to HYBE. He believes that the company allowed the feud to be made public and escalate unnecessarily and that there should be an official apology as artists, fans and more have been negatively affected.

I wish HYBE hadn’t escalated the confrontation with Min Hee-jin to this extent. This dispute has already caused significant pain to many K-pop artists and fans. Family matters must be resolved within the family, and I hope this dispute does not escalate further. The actions that damage the K-pop genre must stop here. I sincerely hope that both sides find a way forward. A public apology for the pain caused to various artists and fans, and minimizing the damage already suffered, seem to be crucial tasks.

–David C.

a YG Entertainment director also spoke on behalf of Min Hee Jin. Read more below.

Former YG Entertainment Director Shows Support for ADOR’s Min Hee Jin

HYBE vs. ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin

Share this message

Facebook

Tweet