On August 27, 2024, Kim Joo-young was officially named the new CEO of ADOR, replacing Min Hee-jin. However, this transition did not occur without controversy. Min Hee-jin, who has been at the center of legal disputes with HYBE, has voiced strong objections to the new appointment. Her team has informed the media that the decision was made without her consent, claiming she was pushed to be removed from her CEO position.
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She has been reassigned as an in-house director and will continue to oversee NewJeans, her primary group. Her team has disclosed that she was only informed of the CEO's change plans abruptly on Saturday, August 24, 2024, and her removal was sudden and unexpected. As a result, her team is preparing for some legal proceedings and answers regarding the new decision.
The team stated,
"The board unilaterally decided to dismiss the CEO."
Min Hee-jin steps down as the CEO of ADOR
Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of ADOR, has expressed strong opposition to her removal from the position by the board of directors, stating that the decision was made without any prior consultation.
On the 27th, representatives of her team stated,
"The board unilaterally decided to dismiss her from the CEO position without regard to her wishes. This is a significant violation of the shareholders' agreement."
The representatives also mentioned that the company announced that Min Hee-jin would continue producing for NewJeans. However, this particular situation was not discussed with her and was a one-sided notification. They added that the former CEO is still considering her position and has not yet made any final decisions.
"On the 24th, we received a sudden notice from the ADOR board of directors that a board meeting would be held on the 27th to discuss a change in the CEO position. On that day, Min attended the meeting via phone."
Earlier that day, ADOR held a board meeting and announced the appointment of Kim Joo-young, an internal director, as the new CEO. ADOR also stated that although Min Hee-jin would step down from the CEO position, she would retain her position as an internal director and continue her production work for NewJeans, as offered by them.
ADOR explained that, like other labels under HYBE, they were separating production and management responsibilities.
However, as the former CEO's side has opposed the board's decision, attention is now focused on how she will respond and whether this ongoing situation will enter a new phase.
Min Hee-Jin has been at the heart of controversy due to her heated legal battle with HYBE and its CEO, Bang Si-hyuk, which has been unfolding over the past several months. The recent decision by ADOR to appoint a new CEO is believed to have emerged as a direct consequence of these legal disputes. The change in leadership was implemented immediately, leaving ADOR now awaiting an official response from her.
