Min Hee-jin vs. NewJeans: Divergent Paths in Court Amidst Legal Battles

Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of ADOR, and the girl group NewJeans made separate appearances in court on the same day, highlighting their diverging paths amid their ongoing legal disputes.

Min Hee-jin directly attended the hearing for her lawsuit against HYBE regarding the exercise of put options, valued at approximately 26 billion KRW. This marked her first public appearance in court since the management rights dispute at ADOR surfaced last year. HYBE accused Min of attempting to poach NewJeans by persuading the members' parents, a claim Min's side refuted, stating the contract termination was a consequence of HYBE's own actions.

On the same afternoon, NewJeans members were absent from the second mediation session for the exclusive contract validity lawsuit filed by ADOR against them. Despite the court's request for the parties involved to attend, the mediation concluded unsuccessfully within 20 minutes, with no agreement reached.

While Min Hee-jin opted for a direct confrontation in court, NewJeans, who have signaled a desire to break away from their exclusive contracts and pursue independent activities, have yet to achieve a clear legal resolution. The contrasting approaches taken by both parties on the same day, under the same judicial roof, underscore the complex nature of their dispute.

Min Hee-jin is renowned in the industry for her creative vision, having spearheaded the conceptualization and production of numerous successful K-pop groups during her tenure at SM Entertainment.

Her move to HYBE led to the establishment of her own label, ADOR, where she successfully debuted the globally popular girl group NewJeans.

Currently, she is embroiled in a high-profile legal conflict with HYBE over management rights, which has cast a shadow over the future activities of NewJeans.