Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, who has been at the center of ongoing legal disputes with HYBE over the girl group NewJeans, has officially been cleared of business embezzlement charges, marking a significant development in her high-profile battle with the entertainment giant.
On July 15, Min Hee-jin’s legal team announced that police had decided not to indict her on two counts of embezzlement, which HYBE had filed in April 2024. The charges stemmed from HYBE’s claim that Min attempted to unlawfully seize management control of ADOR, the label she founded under HYBE and home to NewJeans.
In addition, Min Hee-jin previously appeared at the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul and was questioned for about 8 hours. The former CEO told reporters after the questioning, “I was questioned first because I wanted to. I have a hasty personality and I had a lot to say.” Then, when asked if there was any additional evidence to submit, she answered, “We have a lot,” and her lawyer added, “We will submit it later.”
Min Hee-jin also emphasized, “I feel relieved now that I’ve told the truth,” adding, “It’s comical from my perspective because there’s no way it was dereliction of duty. I told the truth.”
Min Hee-jin has consistently denied the accusations, stating that it was structurally impossible for her to take over control due to the shareholding arrangement. In retaliation, she had also filed charges of business embezzlement against a HYBE employee involved in PR.
While Min has cleared this major hurdle, her legal journey is far from over. She remains embroiled in two separate lawsuits from HYBE subsidiaries: Source Music and Belift Lab.
However, HYBE promptly released an official statement challenging the police’s conclusion. The company claimed that “since the police investigation, new developments such as the NewJeans members’ notice of contract termination have arisen, and additional evidence has been submitted during ongoing court proceedings.” HYBE emphasized that the court had taken Min’s actions very seriously.
They referenced a decision from the Seoul High Court, which oversaw the injunction appeal, stating that “Min is taking a stance that intentionally disrupts the integrated structure underlying the exclusive contract,” suggesting that her actions were of serious concern. Based on this, HYBE indicated it would contest the police’s dismissal at the prosecution stage.
In July 2024, Source Music filed a 500 million Korean won (approx. 380,000 USD) damages lawsuit against Min, contesting her claims that she personally cast the NewJeans members and that Source Music had allegedly neglected them during their trainee period. The label argued that these statements caused reputational damage.
Meanwhile, Belift Lab is pursuing a much larger claim of 2 billion Korean won (approx. 1.5 million USD) in damages, though the specific grounds have not been publicly disclosed.
