Former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin is facing allegations that she granted excessive preferential treatment to her former boyfriend through contracts tied to NewJeans’ music production.
The claims were raised on the 18th at the Seoul Central District Court, where HYBE and Min Hee Jin are locked in a lawsuit over the termination of a shareholders’ agreement and the exercise of a put option. HYBE argued that Min Hee Jin entered into unusually favorable contracts with Kim, the head of BANA, who was in a romantic relationship with her at the time and worked on NewJeans’ music.
According to contracts presented in court, ADOR paid BANA a monthly fee of 33 million KRW (approx. 22,000 USD), along with additional labor costs. The deal also included incentives worth 5 percent of total annual album revenue. HYBE claimed that in 2022, BANA received service fees amounting to roughly double the total settlements paid to all NewJeans members, despite ADOR recording an operating loss that year.
HYBE’s legal team said internal emails described the contract as unprecedented, noting that Kim’s compensation exceeded Min Hee Jin’s own salary and ranked among the highest in the industry. HYBE also questioned whether the agreement had received board approval.
The court further heard that the contract was later revised in Kim’s favor. Instead of 5 percent of album revenue in the release year, Kim was to receive 3 percent of cumulative album sales, including past releases—raising annual incentives from about 400 million KRW to 1 billion KRW (approx. 271,000 to 680,000 USD). HYBE argued that under the revised terms, Kim could receive large payouts even without performing any work.
Min Hee Jin acknowledged both the relationship and the contract terms but denied favoritism, saying the deal was based on Kim’s abilities and aligned with industry standards. When questioned about board approval, she initially said it had been obtained, then said she believed the former HYBE CEO had verbally approved it, before ultimately stating she could not recall.
Min Hee Jin also denied that her decision to share potential put option proceeds with Kim was related to their personal relationship, insisting it was meant to fairly reward a capable producer.
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