Min Hee-jin “Public Execution for Challenging Parent Company, It Reminds Me of the Movie ‘Joint Security Area'”
After creating NewJeans, she rose to prominence as a star producer. However, she was recently dismissed from her position as ADOR’s CEO and is now embroiled in a legal battle with HYBE over control of the company. HYBE accused Min of attempting to seize ADOR’s management, which she denied in multiple press conferences. The conflict intensified after NewJeans publicly demanded Min’s reinstatement as CEO. Despite efforts to reach a compromise, both sides remain at odds, with Min insisting on her return as CEO. Min accuses HYBE of unfairly targeting her and claims they are sabotaging NewJeans.
Below is the interview with Min Hee-jin.
Q: It’s now Sep 25th, the final deadline set by NewJeans, but there has been no response from HYBE. Is independence the next plan?
“NewJeans, their parents and I have all been continuously harassed, but we have never once said that we would leave HYBE. All we’ve asked is for them to stop paying attention to us and stop interfering. HYBE has been making ridiculous claims based on false information since the illegal audit started on April 22nd. Why would I continue this difficult fight, and why would I have filed for an injunction?”
Q: In August, ADOR held a board meeting, terminated the shareholders’ agreement and replaced the CEO. ADOR claims this was the date you wished for and that there had been sufficient discussion.
“This wasn’t a mutually agreed-upon matter. I was notified only three days before the board meeting. I requested a change in the schedule due to a business trip, but it was rejected. I attended the meeting via video call, pointed out the issues with the dismissal, but they unilaterally assigned me producing duties and pushed through the decision. The board consists of five members, with four from HYBE, so I had no way to block it.”
Q: What was the reason for your dismissal as CEO?
“There was no clear, convincing reason. They emphasized a breakdown in mutual trust. HYBE initially invested 16 billion KRW in ADOR. After NewJeans debuted in 2022, ADOR turned a profit in the first quarter of 2023. By the end of 2023, ADOR’s net profit was 26.5 billion KRW, surpassing the investment. NewJeans also brought significant intangible value to the company. Despite this, HYBE replaced me with someone who lacks industry experience. Most importantly, the independence HYBE promised me when I joined is completely different from what they are doing now, and I have KakaoTalk records to prove it.”
Q: HYBE claims you attempted to seize control of ADOR.
“The word ‘seize’ isn’t even in the lawsuit HYBE submitted to the court. It’s a term they use to manipulate public opinion. I was the CEO of ADOR until Aug 27th, so the idea of ‘seizing control’ is contradictory. HYBE started this by spinning a false narrative.”
Q: There’s speculation that this conflict is due to a put option worth tens of billions of KRW.
“If money were my goal, I wouldn’t be enduring this exhausting fight. If I had kept quiet, I could have received a substantial sum. After I won the injunction regarding the temporary shareholders’ meeting in May, HYBE even proposed a settlement, offering money if I would leave. But I rejected it because money isn’t my objective.”
Q: What do you think is the reason behind this situation?
“This isn’t about the company’s growth or improving systems. It’s simply a public execution for challenging the parent company. This whole thing reminds me of the film ‘Joint Security Area’, where an incident appears to be a significant tragedy of division but is actually a petty, emotional conflict. This situation is the same.”
Q: They claim you tried to make ADOR independent, accusing you of breach of trust.
“HYBE holds 80% of ADOR’s shares, and I own 17.8%. How could I attempt independence? HYBE’s interests and ADOR’s interests don’t always align. If a CEO, under contract, fails to protect the company’s interests by standing up against NewJeans being disadvantaged, wouldn’t that be a breach of trust toward ADOR?”
Q: Your first press conference was a hot topic, with both your statements and your fashion drawing attention. Some say it was strategic.
“I’m not the type to memorize speeches. If it were a script, I would be an actor, not a producer. I decided on the press conference on the morning of the event, even though my lawyers initially opposed it.”
Q: There’s growing controversy over allegations that HYBE requested the media to downplay NewJeans’ success.
“They distorted the sales of NewJeans’ ‘Supernatural’ in Japan, claiming it only sold 50,000 copies. But on July 18th, we received the Gold Record Certification in Japan for selling over 100,000 copies. This isn’t an isolated incident. For example, Billboard columnist Jeff Benjamin recently contacted me after receiving biased materials from HYBE’s PR agency TAG, which even he found suspicious. How can anyone trust a company that badmouths its own producer?”
Q: HYBE denies the allegations, saying they actively supported NewJeans’ activities in Japan.
“I’m tired of their wordplay. They claim it was support, but that’s misleading. When I requested a separate meeting for NewJeans and myself with reporters, HYBE’s PR team resisted. In the end, I greeted the journalists alone.”
Q: In an interview with Japanese media, you mentioned that NewJeans has a “seven-year big picture”. Is that affected by this conflict?
“Yes, it has been significantly disrupted. I was dismissed while planning a surprise fan meeting for Korean fans. The deputy CEOs were also abruptly excluded from their duties. The production of the next album is on hold. It’s heartbreaking, and this is another example of HYBE interfering with NewJeans.”
Q: The NewJeans members seem to have a strong relationship with you, as they’ve publicly demanded your return.
“As a producer, I spent a lot of time thinking about how best to lead these young artists. NewJeans is like my child, born from both my mind and heart. I not only wanted to give them the best but also offer a new alternative business model. I don’t want to give up on this challenge.”
Q: Despite going against the “girl crush” trend, NewJeans succeeded with catchy songs and a fresh, innocent image.
“Defining success is complex, but you can’t achieve exceptional success by following others. As a producer, I wanted to realize my true vision. With NewJeans, I wanted to incorporate all the lessons and improvements I’d gathered over 20 years in the industry. Combining both management and producing allowed me to do this.”
Q: What inspires you as a producer?
“My house was filled with books when I was young, and my parents, who were busy working, bought me new books regularly. I naturally grew up reading Chekhov, Shakespeare and Kafka. My father also introduced me to musicians like Giorgio Moroder and Francis Lai through his LP collection, and I fell in love with their music. Watching movies late into the night, my parents never pressured me to study or nagged me.”
Q: You joined SM Entertainment, so many would assume you were always interested in idols and pop music.
“Not at all. Before I joined SM, I wasn’t interested in idols. I was more into old music and indie music. I joined SM because I wanted to pursue my vision in a large market.”
Source: Naver
