Min Hee-jin Leaves Ador Amid Controversy with HYBE

Min Hee-jin, the mastermind behind the successful girl group NewJeans, has announced her departure from Ador, a subsidiary of HYBE. Following her dismissal as CEO of Ador in August, she has now decided to resign from her position as an internal director.

On October 20, Min released a statement through her legal representative, stating, "I am resigning from my position as an internal director at Ador today. I will also terminate the shareholder agreement with HYBE and seek legal accountability for their violations of this agreement."

Min explained her reasons for leaving, saying, "For over seven months, I have endured a hellish dispute with HYBE that began with their illegal audit in April. Despite this, I have made every effort to uphold the shareholder agreement and restore Ador to its previous state before April. However, HYBE has yet to acknowledge their wrongdoing and shows no signs of change, leading me to conclude that further efforts would be a waste of time."

She criticized HYBE for their contradictory actions, stating, "HYBE has continued to use its labels to engage in frivolous lawsuits and unfair media tactics against me while simultaneously presenting me with a contract filled with toxic clauses, pretending to offer me favors. The misconduct perpetrated by HYBE in 2024 will be recorded as an unprecedented event in K-pop history."

Min concluded her statement with a poignant remark: "The actions of one person's malice should never compromise the essence of the industry. It is truly regrettable."

Min Hee-jin joined HYBE as Chief Brand Officer (CBO) in 2019 and became the CEO of Ador when it was established as a HYBE label in November 2021. After launching NewJeans in July 2022, the group has released numerous hit songs.

Since April, Min has been embroiled in a dispute with HYBE. The company initiated an audit claiming that Min attempted to seize control of the management, leading to her dismissal from the CEO position through Ador's board of directors. Although Ador reappointed her as an internal director in October, she filed for an injunction to be reinstated as CEO, which was dismissed by the court on September 29.

Recently, Min informed HYBE of her intention to exercise her put option regarding Ador shares, a key element of the shareholder agreement.

On October 13, NewJeans sent a notice to Ador demanding Min's reinstatement as CEO and the normalization of the company, stating that they would terminate their exclusive contract if their demands were not met.

Here is the full statement from Min Hee-jin:

"Hello, this is Min Hee-jin.

I am resigning from my position as an internal director at Ador today.

Additionally, I will terminate the shareholder agreement with HYBE and hold them legally accountable for their violations of this agreement.

I will also take necessary legal actions regarding the numerous illegal activities of HYBE and its affiliates.

Since the illegal audit by HYBE began in April, I have done everything in my power to uphold the shareholder agreement and restore Ador to its state prior to April. However, HYBE has not acknowledged their mistakes and shows no signs of change, leading me to conclude that further efforts would be a waste of time.

I had hoped that HYBE would recognize their errors and I have worked tirelessly to protect NewJeans within the distorted environment of HYBE. This is also why I sent internal whistleblower emails twice in April.

However, instead of reflecting, HYBE has engaged in the unprecedented foolishness of fabricating absurd falsehoods and publicly displaying their shameful illegal audit. They have framed me, a minority shareholder and CEO, as attempting to seize control, launching a witch hunt with ignorant and unreasonable attacks that are hard to believe from a large corporation.

After seven long months, it has become clear that my whistleblowing was based on undeniable facts, while HYBE's ugly lies and hypocrisy are being exposed.

In truth, HYBE must have known from the beginning that all the contents of my whistleblowing were true and represented legitimate concerns.

However, for those who only care about their own interests and advancement, the essence of 'problem-solving' was likely a task they wanted to avoid at all costs.

I did not expect them to repent, but I believed that they would at least possess a minimum level of conscience as human beings, which now seems to have been a naive misjudgment.

Yet, just because one is alive does not mean they should cling to money and remain complacent in this twisted organization.

Until recently, HYBE has continued to use its labels to engage in frivolous lawsuits and unfair media tactics against me while simultaneously presenting me with a contract filled with toxic clauses, pretending to offer me favors. They have insisted on face-to-face meetings while presenting nonsensical demands, such as agreeing to forensic examinations before discussing the R&R agreement, and have repeatedly claimed they cannot provide the R&R document.

Despite having unilaterally dismissed me, they have spread false information to the media that I stepped down to take on producing duties, showing a lack of conscience by demanding 'confidentiality' from others.

The misconduct perpetrated by HYBE in 2024 will be recorded as an unprecedented event in K-pop history.

For the past seven months, I have poured my mental, economic, and physical resources into reviving Ador, which has been damaged due to HYBE's serious violations of the shareholder agreement.

This hellish battle, initiated by the baseless violence of a group disguised as a large corporation, has not deterred me from my efforts.

HYBE's moral decay has reached its peak, and while their dirty media tactics will continue, I am not worried as the public has likely begun to recognize their patterns.

Nevertheless, if there are any malicious slanderers and media, I will not stand idly by and will respond legally.

This unprecedented incident is not over yet, but I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the supporters, including the fans of NewJeans, who have tirelessly cheered for me over the past six months.

Ironically, through this battle with the worst company, I have had the fortune of meeting the best people.

Some may not understand why I have endured so much, but there is a reason and meaning for someone like me to exist in this world.

I hope you will continue to take an interest in my new journey in K-pop.

I conclude my message with a relieved heart: 'The actions of one person's malice should never compromise the essence of the industry. It is truly regrettable.'