A Bold Offer With High Stakes
The former ADOR CEO, now heading OK Records, made an unexpected proposal during her fourth public appearance. Rather than her typical off-the-cuff speaking style, she arrived late and read directly from prepared documents for approximately five minutes before leaving without taking questions.
The Exchange Proposal
Her central offer was straightforward: she would surrender her stock purchase rights worth roughly 25.6 billion won. In return, she asked that HYBE and its subsidiary labels withdraw every civil and criminal lawsuit currently filed against multiple parties.
Those affected by the ongoing legal battles include:
- Herself and former ADOR staff members
- NewJeans former member Danielle
- External production partners including video production companies
- Fan organization Team Bunnies
Legal Background and Court Victories
She began by expressing gratitude to the courts for examining the core issues. She referenced her legal wins, including a successful injunction, police non-referral decision, and a first-instance court victory where she won the right to receive the substantial stock buyback payment from HYBE.
According to her statement, the court dismissed claims of management takeover attempts and tampering as baseless, validating that her concerns were legitimate business judgments expected from a company leader.
Why Make This Sacrifice?
She acknowledged that 25.6 billion won represents a life-changing amount for most people and crucial capital for her new venture. However, she emphasized there was something she valued far more than this enormous sum.
“The most urgent reason is the NewJeans members,” she explained. She expressed that she couldn’t bear watching some members perform on stage while others face courtroom proceedings. She stressed that neither the performing members nor their fans could find happiness in such circumstances.
Current Legal Battles
Multiple lawsuits are currently active:
- A 43 billion won damages suit against her and Danielle filed by ADOR
- Breach of trust allegations from HYBE
- Combined 2.5 billion won damage claims from SOURCE MUSIC and BELIFT LAB
- An 1.1 billion won case involving production partners
- A 100 million won suit against fan group Team Bunnies from BELIFT LAB
- Embezzlement charges against a former ADOR employee
Direct Appeal to Leadership
She directly addressed HYBE’s chairman by name, suggesting they should meet “in creative spaces, not courtrooms.” She argued that choosing reconciliation over prolonged legal risks would be the wisest business decision for shareholders and fans alike in an era of increased corporate responsibility.
Moving Forward
She made clear her intention to leave her past role behind completely. Announcing her focus on OK Records, she declared this would be her final press conference of this nature. She promised to dedicate herself entirely to developing new artists and businesses that would represent K-pop, stating her future appearances would be “on creative stages, not at press conferences or in courtrooms.”
Her core message emphasized that adults’ only responsibility should be creating an environment where all five NewJeans members can freely pursue their dreams together, noting that prolonged disputes only cause suffering for the artists.
Unexpected Format Draws Criticism
The brief, scripted nature of the conference surprised many attendees. Unlike her previous lengthy, improvised sessions, this appearance lasted only about five minutes with no opportunity for questions. Some journalists felt the content could have simply been distributed as a press release rather than requiring their physical presence.
The timing was particularly notable as new allegations regarding tampering had emerged just before the conference, leading many to expect she would address these questions directly. With her remaining silent on these points while making her settlement offer, attention now turns to whether HYBE will respond to her proposal.