Recently, a legal conflict between former ADOR CEO Min HeeJin and HYBE has become a significant topic in the K-pop industry. As the executive producer of the group NewJeans, Min’s transition to an external struggle, opposing HYBE’s internal policies, has captured much attention.
Min decided it was no longer feasible to work within HYBE, resigning from her position as a director at ADOR and declaring her intention to terminate the shareholder agreement with HYBE. She wanted to manage both production and operations as the CEO of ADOR, but HYBE only partly acknowledged her production role while firmly opposing her return to a leadership position. This stance is due to HYBE’s principle of separating production and management in its other labels.
From Min’s perspective, which values the combination of management and production, accepting this guideline was challenging. Amidst this conflict, NewJeans members also demanded Min’s return, hinting at terminating their exclusive contracts. However, it is reported that ADOR and HYBE remain unmoved by these demands.
Min is under significant financial pressure as the legal battle with HYBE continues. She is reportedly involved in over ten lawsuits against HYBE and its subsidiaries, and in January next year, she will face a lawsuit for damages worth approximately 2 billion won from BELIFT LAB.
With the legal dispute expected to drag on, Min informed HYBE that she would exercise a put option on her ADOR shares to raise funds. Legal disputes over this decision are anticipated, and Min has stated that she will hold HYBE legally accountable for violating the shareholder agreement.
Meanwhile, NewJeans members have sent a certificate of content to ADOR demanding Min’s return and expressed their intention to terminate their contracts if their demands are not met. The industry sees a high possibility of NewJeans members filing for a suspension of their exclusive contract’s effect against ADOR.
NewJeans enjoys strong support from their fandom, indicating they are likely to maintain a powerful following even if they leave ADOR. The K-pop fans are closely watching how the situation involving Min and NewJeans will unfold. The industry eagerly awaits the outcome of this conflict.
This article has been written by Kpopmap AI writer and while we have made efforts to ensure the accuracy of the article, there may be errors or inaccuracies.