A newly amended court filing from a U.S. lawsuit makes explosive allegations, pinning the American PR firm TAG PR to several coordinated smear campaigns, one of which targeted South Korean creative director Min Hee-jin during her high-profile 2024 dispute with HYBE over ADOR and NewJeans. Conflict between Hee Jin and HYBE started when the company accused Min of attempting to orchestrate a coup. Read on to know more.
According to a complaint filed by plaintiff Stephanie Jones in New York, TAG PR CEO Melissa Nathan allegedly ordered her company to develop several defamatory websites, fake social media personas, and SEO-campaign online attacks designed to harm at least five individuals. Min Hee-jin is named as one of the putative targets in the new release of documents.
TAG PR Allegedly Linked To HYBE Accused of Running Coordinated Smear Sites
Digital forensics findings presented to the court claim that TAG PR created entire networks of low-quality “backlink” sites to manipulate search engine results. This alleged tactic pushed defamatory narratives to the top of search pages, giving the appearance of widespread public criticism.
A smear campaign site that was registered on September 27, 2024, accused former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin of being a “criminal” and that she created a “hostile, abusive, and sexually inappropriate environment.” Investigators say TAG PR also created fake social media profiles impersonating Min Hee-jin, linking to the same defamatory site, and collectively amplified in an SEO spam campaign to force visibility across platforms.
Police Previously Cleared Min Hee Jin of Wrongdoing
The revelations come months after police in South Korea dismissed a criminal complaint by HYBE against Min Hee-jin, confirming there was no evidence of embezzlement or any misconduct.
It was not long before fans pointed out yet another detail in the filing: HYBE allegedly owned 51% of TAG PR before the alleged smear campaign against Min Hee-jin began. Soon after, several negative narratives about NewJeans surfaced online – and in the next quarter, HYBE quietly sold its stake in TAG PR.
Also Read: Does Min Hee Jin Owe NewJeans An Apology For Everything That Went Down?
The claims of the lawsuit have rekindled debates amongst fans; many perceived this alleged smear campaign as contributing to chaos during the ADOR–HYBE feud that has remained quite heated. Others note that the allegations remain part of a continuing U.S. case and have not been tested in court yet, hence a definite conclusion cannot be drawn.
Also Read: Is Min Hee Jin Forming New K-pop Group Following NewJeans’ Legal Defeat? Here’s What We Know!