Min Hee-jin vs. HYBE Saga Continues as Police Clear Former CEO of Charges

The ongoing conflict between Min Hee-jin and HYBE, which heated up in 2024, is set to persist this year. Although the police have determined that there is 'no evidence' of wrongdoing regarding Min Hee-jin's alleged breach of duty, HYBE has announced plans to file an objection with the prosecution.

On July 15, Min Hee-jin's legal team stated, "In April of last year, HYBE filed a complaint against former CEO Min Hee-jin for breach of duty. After more than a year of police investigation, it has been concluded that there is no legal violation on her part, and today we were informed that both cases filed by HYBE have been dismissed."

Previously, in April 2024, HYBE initiated an urgent audit after suspecting that Min Hee-jin attempted to seize control of ADOR and its girl group NewJeans. Following this, they reported her for alleged breach of duty.

In response, Min Hee-jin held a press conference denying the allegations of attempting to usurp control and stated that while she had expressed concerns about HYBE's management style to ADOR's vice president, she never acted on those discussions.

However, in August of the same year, the ADOR board, composed of HYBE personnel, dismissed Min Hee-jin from her position. By November, she voluntarily resigned from her role as an internal director at ADOR and left HYBE, subsequently engaging in legal battles with the company and its subsidiaries.

Following the police's conclusion that there was no evidence of breach of duty, HYBE reacted swiftly. They announced, "We will immediately file an objection with the prosecution regarding the dismissal of the breach of duty case against Min Hee-jin. New developments have arisen since the police investigation, including contract termination declarations from NewJeans members, and new evidence has been submitted in related court cases, which the court has taken very seriously."

HYBE further stated, "The appellate court has determined that Min Hee-jin is in a position that intentionally undermines the integrated structure that is the basis of the exclusive contract, and we intend to contest the dismissal decision in the objection process."

Additionally, HYBE noted that the investigation into Min Hee-jin's complaints against five HYBE executives for obstruction of business and violations of the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation) also resulted in a dismissal of charges. The authorities concluded that HYBE's claims were not considered false and that the evidence obtained during the audit was deemed legitimate.

In conclusion, HYBE confirmed that all complaints filed by Min Hee-jin against HYBE and its affiliates have also been dismissed, including allegations of defamation against the management of Belift Lab and others.

As HYBE prepares to file an objection, the conflict between Min Hee-jin and the company is expected to continue.