The Seoul Central District Court has rejected former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin’s application to be reinstated to her position, marking the latest development in the ongoing dispute between the veteran executive and K-Pop giant HYBE.
In a ruling issued Tuesday (October 29), and after a hearing on October 11, the court dismissed Min’s injunction request filed on September 13. The court stated that her application was “improper due to a lack of legal interest” and that “there is insufficient evidence regarding the rights to be protected,” a HYBE spokesperson told MBW.
“We acknowledge and appreciate the court’s wise ruling. In light of this decision, HYBE is dedicated to normalizing ADOR’s operations, improving our multi-label capabilities, and supporting the activities of our artists,” the spokesperson added.
The court’s dismissal deals a blow to Min Hee-jin’s position at ADOR, where she was instrumental in developing the girl group NewJeans, ADOR’s flagship act. Min, who co-founded ADOR in 2021 after serving as a creative director at HYBE rival SM Entertainment, was replaced as CEO in August amid a legal spat with the company.
“We acknowledge and appreciate the court’s wise ruling. In light of this decision, HYBE is dedicated to normalizing ADOR’s operations, improving our multi-label capabilities, and supporting the activities of our artists.”
HYBE Spokersperson
Earlier this year, HYBE accused Min of trying to take over ADOR by selling shares and potentially leaking confidential information. Min was reportedly angered by another HYBE sub-label, BELIFT LAB, for allegedly copying NewJeans’ concept with their new girl group, ILLIT. In April, HYBE threatened legal action against her.
In response, Min has filed police reports against five HYBE executives, accusing them of defamation and leaking her private messages to the media. BELIFT LAB and Source Music, another HYBE subsidiary, have accused Min of defamation and obstructing business, according to local media.
In September, Min declined an offer to remain at ADOR as the producer of NewJeans, citing “unreasonable” contract terms. ADOR then decided to extend Min’s term as a board director, but rejected her reinstatement as CEO, prompting Min to seek a court injunction.
“We have already made an offer to Min Hee-jin to stay on as the producer of NewJeans for the next five years, which is the whole duration of the girl group’s contract [with ADOR],” the agency said in late September. Kim Joo Young, the company’s head HR officer, was named ADOR’s new CEO.
Adding complexity to the case between ADOR and Min are recent allegations of workplace tensions affecting NewJeans. During a YouTube livestream, since removed, group members expressed concerns about perceived hostile treatment within HYBE. NewJeans member HANNI even testified before the National Assembly regarding workplace bullying, describing incidents where staff were allegedly instructed to ignore the group in corridors.
The controversy escalated after a leak of internal HYBE documents, containing disparaging remarks about K-Pop artists including HYBE’s own and those managed by rival labels. Some observers suggested that comments in the documents indicated that HYBE may want to phase out NewJeans.
An unidentified person not connected to HYBE, Min or NewJeans has reportedly submitted these leaked documents to an ongoing investigation into alleged bullying at ADOR, potentially implicating the current CEO, Kim Joo-young.
In response to the document leak, HYBE CEO Jason Jaesang Lee issued a public apology on October 24, acknowledging the inappropriate nature of the comments.
Music Business Worldwide
