On October 18th, KBS responded to a viewer petition titled “Please reveal the truth about KBS’s deletion of the Min Hee-jin interview report” through the official website’s viewer petition board.
On September 19th, a petition with the aforementioned title was posted on KBS’s official website petition board.
Amidst the ongoing conflict between former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE, NewJeans held an emergency live broadcast on September 11th, stating, “We want the original ADOR back. We’re not asking for anything more. What we want is the original ADOR with Min Hee-jin as the CEO, where management and producing are integrated. Making this request now is a way to get along with HYBE without quarreling.” They demanded ADOR be restored to its original state by September 25th.
Two days later, on the afternoon of September 13th, KBS posted an article titled “Min Hee-jin’s side “tried to stop NewJeans’ statement”… HYBE has expressed regrets towards Min Hee-jin” but suddenly deleted it, drawing attention to the background of this action.
The petition ultimately garnered 2,657 signatures, prompting a response from KBS.
In the opening, KBS stated, “We would like to correct and explain parts of the petition content that are factually incorrect or potentially misleading.” Regarding the petitioner’s mention of a “Min Hee-jin interview report” in the petition title, KBS clarified, “It seems to be understood that “KBS interviewed Min Hee-jin”, but this is not true. KBS interviewed an associate of Min Hee-jin, not Min Hee-jin herself. In this regard, KBS requested a correction from media outlets that incorrectly stated “KBS interviewed Min Hee-jin”. The media outlets accepted KBS’s request for correction and amended their articles.”
Addressing the criticism that KBS deleted the article without explanation, they stated, “After the video was released on YouTube, KBS obtained different information from another associate of Min Hee-jin that contradicted the previously reported content. After discussion among the reporting team, considering the conflicting information, it was decided to delete the existing article. Given that the positions among the related parties were also changing, the deletion was carried out in accordance with the KBS News Division guidelines.”
KBS also explained, “Regarding the petitioner’s mention of a possible connection with a post on a certain community concerning the circumstances of the article’s deletion, we clarify that KBS’s deletion of the article has no relation to that community post.”
They added, “KBS News has been reporting on this issue, which started in April 2024, in chronological order as the news develops.”
Finally, KBS stated, “We believe that describing KBS as a promotional channel or proxy for a specific individual stems from misunderstandings by some viewers or related parties. KBS has been reporting on this issue with an open attitude towards all sides.” They promised, “KBS will continue to report on this issue and other major social issues based on standards of objectivity and fairness, maintaining an impartial stance.”
On April 25th, HYBE reported Min Hee-jin on charges including breach of trust. On August 27th, they appointed Kim Joo-young, former HYBE Chief Human Resources Officer, as the new CEO of ADOR. Min Hee-jin, who was stripped of management rights, claimed it was a unilateral dismissal, while HYBE countered that it was a CEO replacement through proper procedures.
Eventually, on September 13th, Min Hee-jin filed for an injunction at the Seoul Central District Court to convene a temporary shareholders’ meeting of ADOR and for her reappointment as an internal director of ADOR. HYBE essentially rejected NewJeans’ demand for Min Hee-jin’s return. Amidst this, news broke that Min Hee-jin was reappointed as an internal director on October 17th.
Source: Daum
