"I have decided that further efforts would be a waste of time"— Min Hee-jin resigns as ADOR Inside Director, announces legal actions against HYBE

On November 20, 2024, former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin held an emergency press conference at the Plum Hall in the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. As per the South Korean media outlet Star News, she addressed the media, officially announcing her resignation from the parent label HYBE.

She also mentioned that her decision to end her shareholder agreement would be followed by legal action against the company and its associates for alleged breaches and misconduct.

In her statement, Min Hee-jin highlighted a long ongoing conflict that began with what she described as an "illegal audit" by HYBE in April. Addressing HYBE's alleged negligence, she remarked,

"I have done everything I could to honor the Shareholders' Agreement and put ADOR back in the position it was in before April, but HYBE has refused to admit wrongdoing and shows no sign of changing, so I have come to the conclusion that further efforts are a waste of time."

She also claimed that the label company failed to acknowledge any wrongdoing or act even after her regular efforts over seven months to uphold the shareholder agreement and restore ADOR's original state.

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More about Min Hee-jin's official statement on her resignation from ADOR

Describing her time at the company as “hellish,” Min Hee-jin accused HYBE of unethical practices, including spreading false news, conducting a biased audit, and attempting to ruin her reputation.

She said that she was unfairly portrayed as someone seeking to disrupt management rights and was subjected to a “witch hunt” by the label.

"Instead of showing any remorse, HYBE has done the unthinkable, making up outrageous falsehoods and even going so far as to publicly display their shameful illegal audit. As a minority shareholder and CEO, they framed me as a "management takeover" and went on a witch hunt, making ignorant and uneducated attacks that are unbecoming of a large company," she added.

The former CEO and the driving force behind NewJeans shared her disappointment with HYBE's lack of accountability, saying that she had hoped the company would self-reflect and address its internal issues.

Instead, she claimed that HYBE chose to make up falsehoods and conduct a media campaign to discredit her. Min Hee-jin referred to these events as a moral and ethical failure in K-pop's history, calling HYBE's actions an unprecedented stain on the industry.

She said she would hold the company legally accountable for its behavior while continuing to fight against misinformation spread by any party.

"HYBE's moral decay has already reached its peak, so the dirty media play will continue, but I am not worried that even the public has now read the pattern. However, we would like to inform you that if there are any forces or media that are trying to slander you, we will never sit idly by and will punish them with the law," she said.

"This unprecedented incident is not over yet, but I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Bunnies and many others who have tirelessly supported and cheered me on for nearly half a year."

Min Hee-jin concluded her statement by promising her commitment to the K-pop industry and hinted at a new chapter in her career.

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Min Hee-jin's resignation has cast uncertainty over the future of NewJeans. Fans eagerly await an official statement regarding the group's potential departure from the label. The long internal conflict between HYBE, ADOR's former CEO Min Hee-jin, and NewJeans remains unresolved, leaving supporters hoping for a clear resolution.