Allegations of Plagiarism and Internal Strife Highlight Tensions Within K-pop Powerhouse

Courtesy of HYBE's website

In recent weeks, South Korean entertainment conglomerate Hybe Corporation, known for its prominent role in the K-pop industry, has found itself embroiled in controversy surrounding its multilabel system. The conflict has centered on allegations of plagiarism and internal discord between Hybe and one of its sublabels, Ador.

The dispute came to light in early April when executives from Ador, the agency housing popular K-pop girl group NewJeans, voiced complaints regarding the launch of a new girl group, Illit, by another Hybe sublabel, Belift Lab. Shin Dong-hoon, vice president of Ador, alleged that Illit's choreography and concept imitated those of NewJeans.

Min Hee-jin, CEO of Ador, escalated the situation by sending emails to Hybe's top executives, including CEO Park Ji-won and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, as well as Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun. She accused Hybe of creating conflicts of interest between subsidiaries by allegedly whitewashing Illit's plagiarism of NewJeans.

▲ Courtesy of HYBE's website

The conflict traces back to the debut of NewJeans in July 2022, just two months after Source Music, another Hybe sublabel, launched girl group Le Sserafim. Industry insiders speculate that this competition between Hybe's own sublabels may have contributed to the current tensions.

Hybe responded to the allegations by initiating an audit of Ador and suspending Min from her CEO position, accusing her of attempting a takeover of the sublabel. However, Min refuted these claims, asserting that Hybe's actions were in retaliation for her criticism of Illit's alleged imitation of NewJeans.

Subsequently, Hybe disclosed the discovery of a document purportedly showing an Ador executive's plan to sell the sublabel's shares to foreign private equity funds. The document, a memo from three months prior, included references to potential investors and strategies to persuade Hybe to sell its shares in Ador.

▲ Ador CEO Min Hee-jin / Courtesy of AdorThe Ador executive in question denied the accusations, stating that the memo was a personal note saved on his laptop and not intended for distribution among other employees. Currently, Hybe holds an 80 percent stake in Ador, with the remaining 20 percent owned by Min and other executives.

The ongoing conflict underscores the challenges inherent in Hybe's multilabel system. While the corporation has successfully managed various sublabels to produce successful artists, competition between these entities may dilute their individual identities and lead to conflicts of interest.

In response to the situation, Hybe CEO Park assured employees of ongoing efforts to improve the multilabel system and support the growth of both NewJeans and Illit.

Sayart 

Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com