Min Hee Jin, the former CEO of ADOR, has expressed what seems like indirect support for NewJeans after the group decided to terminate their contract with the company.

On the 29th, Min Hee Jin shared a post on Instagram showing The Beatles’ song “Free As A Bird” playing. The song’s title, meaning "free like a bird," appears to be a message of encouragement to NewJeans as they move forward with ending their exclusive contract with ADOR.

This comes after NewJeans held an emergency press conference on the same day, at 8:30 PM, announcing the official termination of their contract.

Just 15 days after sending a demand letter to ADOR on the 13th, NewJeans declared their decision, explaining, "ADOR has neither the will nor the ability to protect NewJeans." They confirmed that the termination was effective from midnight on the 29th.

NewJeans placed the responsibility for the situation on ADOR, saying, "There is absolutely no reason for us to pay any penalty." They also expressed their hope to continue as a group under the name NewJeans and to work with Min Hee Jin again in the future.

In response, ADOR expressed regret after the press conference, saying, "We regret that the contract termination press conference was planned and carried out without sufficient review, even before receiving a response to the demand letter." ADOR also stated, "As the party to the exclusive contract, we have not violated the contract, and a claim of unilateral loss of trust cannot justify termination."

Source (1)

Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin’s When the Phone Rings has issued an apology for the recent controversy surrounding the mockery of sign language.

On November 29th, the drama’s production team released a statement on the viewer’s board addressing the issue. The statement began by saying, “We take the criticism about the improper handling of sign language very seriously, especially as it led to the mockery of the Deaf community and Korean sign language.”

They went on to clarify, “The drama’s theme centers around ‘communication’ between people, and there was absolutely no intention to mock or belittle sign language, which is a vital communication tool for the Deaf community.”

However, the production team admitted, “We humbly acknowledge that we did not give enough attention to the struggles of the Deaf community and the importance of Korean sign language. We will ensure that such mistakes do not happen again in the future.”

The statement also highlighted the role of sign language in the drama, saying, “Sign language plays a crucial part in the relationship between the two main characters as they learn to communicate with each other. Through their journey, we want to show the true value of sign language as an important tool that connects people.”

The production team concluded by asking for viewers' continued support, saying, “We hope you will keep watching the drama and point out any shortcomings you notice.”

Earlier, in the first episode of When the Phone Rings, which aired on November 22nd, a mistake occurred when sign language interpreter Hong Hee Joo (played by Chae Soo Bin) mistakenly used the sign for "mountain" while trying to interpret "landslide" due to a broadcast error.

This led to the sign being misunderstood as a finger gesture commonly seen as offensive, sparking backlash.

After the episode aired, a viewer posted a complaint on the viewer’s board, asking for an apology for mocking sign language.

The viewer explained that the sign for "mountain" is different from the offensive gesture and that using it in this context was hurtful to the Deaf community, as it has been used as a joke by hearing people.

The post described this as an act of discrimination and mockery, calling for a more respectful approach.

Source: [1]