HYBE “Min Hee-jin’s shamanistic management, citing ‘being possessed by ghosts’ as reason for trainee elimination”
On the morning of May 17th, a hearing for the injunction filed by Min Hee-jin against HYBE to prohibit the exercise of voting rights was held at the Seoul Central District Court. While representatives from law firm Sejong (representing ADOR) and HYBE attended, Min Hee-jin herself was absent.
HYBE claimed, “Min Hee-jin exchanged about 58,000 messages with this shaman and devised a strategy to seize management rights. Moreover, she followed the shaman’s naming of ADOR as a mission. She provided trainee photos to the shaman, who deeply influenced decisions on debut members, citing reasons for elimination such as being ‘possessed by ghosts’.“
HYBE also stated, “She issued orders to female employees in a coercive manner and continually made derogatory remarks about women. She lacks the attitude to respect her colleagues.”
On April 22nd, HYBE began an audit after uncovering evidence of breach of trust by Min Hee-jin. Various allegations have been raised, including suspicions of her attempting to seize management rights, demands for exclusive contracts with NewJeans and embezzlement. On May 15th, further conflict arose between HYBE and ADOR over a meeting with an analyst.
HYBE previously demanded Min Hee-jin’s removal from her CEO position. Given that HYBE holds an 80% stake in ADOR, if an extraordinary general meeting is held, her dismissal seems likely. However, Min Hee-jin filed an injunction to prevent the exercise of voting rights, aiming to defend against her dismissal. Her retention of her position now depends on the court’s decision.
