Min Hee-jin Clashes with HYBE in Court, Alleges ILLIT's 'Stock Dumping' Tactics

Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin made her first court appearance to directly confront HYBE, her agency's parent company. During the hearing, Min specifically mentioned the girl group ILLIT, managed by HYBE subsidiary Belift Lab, raising suspicions of 'stock dumping' in album sales. This comes after Min previously accused ILLIT of plagiarizing ADOR's group NewJeans last year, indicating further controversy is likely.

The Seoul Central District Court held a hearing for the lawsuit filed by HYBE to confirm the termination of the shareholders' agreement with Min, and the lawsuit filed by Min against HYBE for payment of sale of shares. Min attended as a party for examination, while HYBE's Chief Legal Officer Jung Jin-soo appeared as a witness.

While the shareholder agreement termination and put option were the apparent issues, the conflict intensified, intertwining with the dispute over NewJeans' exclusive contract. HYBE claimed that Min demanded an increase in the put option multiplier from 13 to 30 times during renegotiations, and sought rights to change or terminate exclusive contracts of artists. Jung stated that if the contract were modified as per Min's proposal, the CEO would gain 'unfettered authority'.

Min, however, strongly refuted these claims, calling Jung's testimony a lie and stating she appeared in court because there was too much falsehood. She pointed to a sudden surge in ILLIT's first-week album sales on the final day as evidence of alleged 'stock dumping.' HYBE's CLO dismissed this, asserting no such facts were found after an internal investigation and that Min had been informed via email. The opposing views on terms like 'slave contract' and 'empty shell ADOR' also fueled the heated exchanges.

Min Hee-jin, a former creative director at SM Entertainment, joined HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) in 2017, renowned for her exceptional visual directing skills. She successfully debuted the girl group NewJeans, establishing herself as the CEO of ADOR. She is currently a frequent topic of discussion due to her ongoing management dispute with HYBE.