Min Hee-jin Makes First Court Appearance in 26 Billion Won Lawsuit

Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has made her first appearance in court for the final hearing of a lawsuit concerning her put option dispute with HYBE.

Attending the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Min arrived by calling a luxury van service with her legal team, exuding a calm demeanor despite the high-profile nature of her first court appearance since the conflict with HYBE erupted. The proceedings revolve around a shareholder agreement and a stock sale claim initiated by Min Hee-jin against HYBE.

The core of the dispute lies in Min Hee-jin's assertion of her right to exercise a put option, which she claims entitles her to approximately 26 billion KRW based on ADOR's past profits. HYBE, however, contests this, arguing that the termination of their shareholder agreement nullified Min's put option rights.

Coincidentally, a separate lawsuit regarding the exclusive contract validity between ADOR's girl group NewJeans and the company was also scheduled for the same day at the same court, though NewJeans members were absent.

Min Hee-jin is a prominent South Korean creative director and former record label CEO. She rose to significant fame for her innovative visual concepts and artistic direction for numerous successful K-pop groups during her tenure at SM Entertainment. After moving to HYBE, she founded ADOR and spearheaded the debut of the critically acclaimed girl group NewJeans.