By The General Justice Lawyer
Seoul, June 19, 2025 — The legal battle between HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin escalated at a June 12, 2025, hearing, with Min Hee-jin suing HYBE for unlawfully terminating their shareholder agreement. HYBE counters that Min Hee-jin breached trust by attempting to divert NewJeans, ADOR’s flagship K-pop group, triggering a high-stakes dispute over corporate control and defamation.
Min Hee-jin’s legal team argues HYBE’s July 2024 termination of the March 2023 shareholder agreement, which granted her 20% of ADOR’s shares, was illegal, demanding a 26 billion KRW (~$18 million USD) put option payment.
HYBE claims Min Hee-jin’s meetings with NewJeans’ parents to “take the group away” constituted a breach of trust, justifying the termination.
The Seoul court merged HYBE’s termination confirmation claim with Min Hee-jin’s compensation lawsuit, with ongoing hearings scrutinizing evidence like leaked messages.
Defamation lawsuits add complexity. In July 2024, Min Hee-jin sued five HYBE executives, including CEO Park Ji-won, for leaking private KakaoTalk messages that portrayed her as disloyal, alleging reputational harm under Korean Civil Code Article 750 and Criminal Code Article 307.
Her March 2025 defamation win against online trolls bolsters her case, but HYBE’s defense of truth could challenge her claims. Conversely, a former ADOR employee sued Min Hee-jin in January 2025 for 100 million KRW, alleging false statements, though weak evidence of public dissemination suggests low viability.
The lawsuit’s implications ripple through the K-pop industry. NewJeans, central to the dispute, attempted to terminate contracts with ADOR in December 2024, aligning with Min Hee-jin’s legal team.
The case highlights corporate governance issues, as HYBE’s burden to prove lawful termination remains under scrutiny.
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