Min Hee-jin and HYBE Clash Fiercely in Court Over ADOR Contract Dispute

A heated legal battle unfolded between Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR, and HYBE, concerning share purchase rights, with both sides presenting strong arguments in court.

The Seoul Central District Court held a hearing on the 11th for the lawsuit filed by HYBE to confirm the termination of the shareholders' agreement and the claim for the stock sale price filed by Min Hee-jin. The hearing was attended by Min Hee-jin for a party examination, and prior to this, HYBE's Chief Legal Officer Jung Jin-soo testified as a witness.

The proceedings, which resumed around 3:15 PM, extended well past 6 PM due to the intense confrontation between HYBE and Min Hee-jin's side, even with only Jung Jin-soo's testimony. While the surface issue revolves around the shareholders' agreement and share purchase rights, the conflict escalated significantly due to the intertwined dispute over the exclusive contract of ADOR's girl group NewJeans.

Particularly contentious were the differing claims regarding terms like 'slave contract' and 'empty shell ADOR,' which emerged during the litigation. When Jung Jin-soo mentioned the possibility of amending certain clauses of the shareholders' agreement during a past meeting with Min Hee-jin, Min Hee-jin later vehemently claimed in her testimony that it was perjury. Jung Jin-soo retorted that she was 'splitting hairs,' to which Min Hee-jin responded that she was 'splitting hairs because you are lying.'

Furthermore, during her examination by Jung Jin-soo, Min Hee-jin brought up the alleged 'pushing out' tactic, referencing the debut album sales records of BELIFT LAB's group ILLIT.

Min Hee-jin is a renowned creative director in South Korea and the former CEO of label ADOR. She built her reputation at SM Entertainment, handling the concept and visual direction for numerous popular idol groups such as SHINee, Girls' Generation, and Red Velvet. In 2021, she established ADOR, a label under HYBE, and successfully debuted the girl group NewJeans, garnering significant attention.