Min Hee Jin addressed the mounting controversies surrounding her exit, her multi-million dollar lawsuit, and the chaotic return of K-pop group NewJeans.
“I felt that HYBE made me a witch,” Min confessed, reflecting on the intense public scrutiny she has faced over the last year. Despite the hostile online atmosphere, she noted a stark contrast in the real world. “I don’t read comments directly… but people on the street ask for autographs. It makes me wonder why the online reaction and the offline atmosphere are so different.”
She explained that her decision to speak out now stems from a realization that her silence over the past year and a half only allowed misunderstandings to grow.
>> Min Hee Jin’s OOAK Records Begins Scouting New Talent After NewJeans Return to ADOR
The $18 Million Battle
The financial stakes of her departure are massive. Immediately after stepping down as an internal director, Min filed a lawsuit claiming approximately 26 billion won ($18.3 million) in put option payments based on ADOR’s performance between 2022 and 2023. HYBE maintains that these rights are void because the shareholder agreement was terminated.
Min pushed back hard against this logic. “HYBE claims the trust relationship is broken, but trust between shareholders is business, not interpersonal,” she argued. “I am the person who brought the most profit to the company… Business-wise, I have fulfilled my role more diligently than anyone else.”
She also dismissed HYBE’s previous allegations regarding her reliance on a shaman. Min pointed out that the text messages used as evidence dated back to 2020, a year before ADOR was even established. “Furthermore, the speakers are unclear. They call me ‘Heejin unnie’ (older sister), but there’s no employee who calls me that,” she said, implying the texts were personal, not professional.
Criticism of the NewJeans Return
Min reserved significant criticism for how ADOR and HYBE handled the recent return of NewJeans. Following a court loss in October, the group returned to the agency, but the announcement was fragmented—members Haerin and Hyein were announced first, followed later by Minji, Hanni, and Danielle.
“I don’t understand why they responded by dividing the members into groups of two and three,” Min said, noting that the members conveyed their intentions on the same date. “Even if two members expressed their intention first, I would have waited to announce it.”
She expressed regret for the fans, stating, “An announcement should be made all at once to avoid confusion for the fandom… It’s frustrating.”
What’s Next: A Boy Group?
Looking to the future, Min confirmed she has established a new agency, OOAK Records, and is already fielding calls from domestic and global investors.
Interestingly, she revealed her next project likely won’t be a girl group. “I don’t plan to create a next-generation girl group; if I do, it would be after a boy group,” she said. “I see deficiencies in the market, and I want to prepare in my own way to properly showcase something where idols and companies can healthily coexist.”
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