Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has announced her resignation as a board director at HYBE, while also declaring legal action against the company and terminating her shareholder agreement. This marks a new chapter in the conflict that began in April, when HYBE initiated an audit into ADOR, the label behind the globally successful group NewJeans. Regarding this, Min Hee-jin described the past 7 months as “hellish” in a statement released today.
What exactly did she experience?
The dispute between Min Hee-jin and HYBE started on April 22, when HYBE launched an internal audit of ADOR, citing allegations of “management rights usurpation” by Min Hee-jin and her team.
Particularly, HYBE claimed that Min Hee-jin had induced the sale of ADOR’s shares, leaked internal documents such as contracts, and committed irregularities such as requesting personnel favors.
However, Min’s side argued the audit was a retaliatory move following her allegations that HYBE’s rookie group ILLIT, under Belift Lab, had plagiarized NewJeans’ concepts. Min Hee-jin also refuted HYBE’s claims of power usurpation, dismissing the evidence as mere personal notes and ideas.
In May, despite Min’s resistance, HYBE convened an emergency shareholder meeting to install new executives, including then-Chief Human Resources Officer Ju Young Kim, on ADOR’s board of directors. By August 27, Min Hee-jin was dismissed as CEO, and Kim was appointed in her place.
NewJeans speak up
As pressure on Min Hee-jin escalated, NewJeans intervened. The group submitted a petition to the court supporting Min, and in September, they released a surprise YouTube video demanding her reinstatement as the CEO of ADOR.
On November 13, NewJeans sent HYBE a legal notice demanding the restoration of ADOR to its state prior to March 2024, when they claimed to have been “happy and joyful” in their work. The group also took issue with internal HYBE documents that referred to “abandoning NewJeans and starting fresh,” demanding accountability and threatening to terminate their contracts if their demands were not met.
Min Hee-jin’s resignation
A week later, on November 20, Min Hee-jin announced her resignation from HYBE’s board and her intent to fight the company outside the boardroom. In a scathing statement, she condemned HYBE for conducting “illegal audits, spreading false information, and engaging in manipulative media tactics.”
She declared, “HYBE’s unethical behavior will go down in K-pop history,” and described her experience as “a hellish battle against groundless violence by a corporate giant.”
Min criticized HYBE for its lack of moral integrity, expressing confidence that the public could now see through the company’s tactics.
What’s Next?
While Min’s resignation may appear to be a victory for HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, the situation is far from resolved. Min has pledged legal action, signaling that the conflict is entering a new phase. The legal battle is expected to be protracted, with significant implications for NewJeans’ future.
As the K-pop industry watches closely, the outcome of this dispute could reshape perceptions of corporate power dynamics and artist rights in the industry.
Source: Daum
