K-Netizens React to British Media Out labeling Min Hee-Jin a "hero" who resists the Korean workplace patriarchy

Amidst the legal feud between HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin, her popularity has exponentially grown in the last few months. A British media outlet even dubbed her as a hero confronting a patriarchal industry.

Financial Times, a British newspaper, ran an article in May 2024, shortly after Min’s iconic first press meet since her feud with HYBE went public, describing her battle as one against the patriarchal industry. The outlet highlighted her use of expletives specifically targeting the male higher-ups in the company, representing the rage of young Korean women facing workplace predicaments due to their male superiors.

“These old jerks have sneakily captured all sorts of [private] messages to just kill me,” said the 45-year-old, wearing a green and white striped T-shirt and an LA Dodgers baseball cap. “But if you’re going to come at me, come at me directly. Don’t talk shit behind my back.”

Her rage resonated with young Korean women, who were inspired by her criticism of her male superiors in a country where women account for only 6 percent of executives among the top 100 companies.

“What Min is experiencing is what so many of us go through every day in our male-dominated, hierarchical corporate culture,” said Youn Hye-shin, 31, who works in the education sector in Seoul. “She is saying out loud what we dream of saying.”

Her group, NewJeans, was the fastest K-pop act to reach one billion streams on Spotify and stormed to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart last year with their second EP “Get Up”.

“Min Hee-jin is the most important creative force in the entire K-pop industry,” said Kim Young-dae, a Korean pop culture critic. “Before she appeared, K-pop was becoming a victim of its own success, repeating old formulas in an effort to retain the existing fandom,” he added.

Kim continued: “But with NewJeans, she introduced a new trend of easy listening and retro-style aesthetics, which has been the most important development in the industry in the past five years.”

Min’s battle is not over, added K-pop critic Ha Jae-geun, noting that the clothes the producer wore to the press conference were the same as those worn by members of NewJeans in their latest music video released the same week.

“As well as getting public opinion on her side, wearing those clothes sent a message to Hybe that she and NewJeans are inseparable,” said Ha. “Now that she is seen as a hero to so many young women, it will be more difficult for Hybe to deal with her.”

Two months after the article’s publication, it received renewed public interest in Korea after a netizen reposted it on the popular online forum, Theqoo. At the time of writing, the post has garnered nearly 45,000 views. The majority opinion in the comments agrees with the article’s analysis of Min Hee Jin’s legal fight with HYBE being also a fight against a patriarchal system.

Korean Netizens had this to say:

• “Workplace patriarchy.”
• “When HYBE was doing dirty media play to turn women against Min Hee Jin, no one agreed with them. Why do you think that is? Hahaha. They ignored it because they knew it was all bullsh*t.”
• “Regardless of which fandom you belong to, if you’re a woman, an ordinary worker, or a normal person, there’s no way you can side with HYBE, and there’s no reason to. There are probably many people who like Min Hee-jin herself, but even those who don’t particularly like her have no choice but to stand by her side.”
• “For real.”
• “Exactly right. It’s funny watching the men throw a fit.”
• “I support Min Hee Jin no matter what.”
• “I support Min Hee Jin.”
• “Agreed.”
• “She’s fighting on the front lines.”
• “I will support Min Hee Jin for life.”