NewJeans producer Min Hee Jin quits after legal dispute with BTS agency HYBE

Min Hee Jin, the super producer behind the chart-topping girl group NewJeans, has quit her label ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE.

This was after a seven-month internal power struggle with the South Korean entertainment giant.

The legal battle has sent shockwaves across the K-pop industry.

The revelations in court have exposed the inner workings and cut-throat dynamics behind one of South Korea’s most lucrative and globally influential cultural exports.

After a court dismissed Min’s injunction to be reinstated as ADOR’s CEO in October, she announced on Nov. 20 her decision to step down as an internal director and cut ties with HYBE entirely.

She described her experience as a "hellish dispute with HYBE" and pledged to pursue legal action against the company and individuals involved.

A long-drawn battle

The dispute began in April 2024 when HYBE, known for managing global sensation BTS, announced an internal audit of Min.

It was tantamount to publicly accusing Min of breaching trust in the business, and an attempt to kick her out of her position.

The agency alleged that the star producer and her team attempted to seize control of ADOR.

This move by HYBE sparked a high-profile legal and public relations clash.

Min has since refuted the claims and stated that the agency’s accusation was retribution for internal complaints and whistleblowing.

Seven months of conflict followed, marked by lawsuits, which included Min’s dismissal as ADOR’s CEO in August, NewJeans and their parents advocating for her reinstatement, and internal complaints against her from HYBE teams.

Min also alleged that HYBE was copying her star-making strategies for a rival girl group, a claim that has drawn widespread attention.

Min criticised HYBE's actions, calling it a "witch hunt" and issued a fiery statement vowing to "hold HYBE legally accountable for violating the shareholders’ agreement", while taking "necessary legal actions against the numerous illegal activities of HYBE and its associates".

Legacy of Min Hee Jin, a super producer

Min, who joined the industry in the early 2000s, is celebrated as one of K-pop’s most successful producers, having shaped the careers of iconic groups such as Girls’ Generation, EXO, and SHINee.

She joined HYBE in 2019 as a brand officer before being appointed CEO of the newly-created ADOR label in late 2021.

In her position, she oversaw the debut of the game-changing and chart-topping girl group NewJeans in the summer of 2022.

Her work with NewJeans further solidified her reputation, as the group achieved international acclaim, including topping the Billboard 200 and breaking a Guinness World Record in 2023 as the fastest K-pop act to reach one billion streams on Spotify.

Support from NewJeans

The members of NewJeans, who are all under 20, have publicly backed Min throughout the dispute.

During a YouTube livestream in September, the group publicly demanded her reinstatement as ADOR’s CEO, and on Nov. 13, demanded that its agency ADOR "rectify all violations".

They formally notified HYBE of six demands, including Min’s reinstatement, warning that failure to comply could result in terminating their contracts.

Workplace bullying of NewJeans

The controversy between Min and HYBE also intersected with a workplace harassment allegation involving Hanni, a Vietnamese-Australian member of NewJeans.

During the YouTube livestream, Hanni expressed her frustration over an alleged bullying incident, linking it to the broader dispute between HYBE and Min.

She recalled an encounter at HYBE’s headquarters, where a manager from another girl group, Illit, allegedly told the team to “ignore her” in an attempt to dismiss her.

In her testimony, Hanni shared: “We have a floor in our building for hair and makeup, and at that time, I was waiting in the hallway because I had finished first."

“I said 'Hello' to all of them and then they came back about five or 10 minutes later. On her way out, [the manager] made eye contact with me, turned to the rest of the group, and said, ‘Ignore her like you didn’t see her’. I don’t understand why she would say something like that in the work environment.”

She added that was not a one-off incident and that other dismissive occurrences made her and her group mates "honestly convinced that the company hated" them.

“We are all human,” she continued.

“I think a lot of people are forgetting that. I understand that contracts for artists and trainees might differ from those of regular employees, but we’re still human."

Hanni's alleged bullying case dismissed

Fans filed a petition with South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labour, demanding an investigation.

However, on Nov. 20, the ministry closed the case, giving the reason that Hanni, as an artist under a profit-sharing contract, was not classified as a worker.

According to the labour office, the relationship between Hanni and ADOR is one in which, “each party fulfills their contractual obligations as equal contracting parties, making it difficult to consider there was supervision or direction from the company”.

The decision has sparked further criticism of an industry known for its punishing schedules and intense competition.

Looking ahead

In a statement on Nov. 20, ADOR said it was "regrettable that Min unilaterally notified us of her resignation” and stated that the company would continue to provide its full support to NewJeans to help them grow and thrive even further.

Min’s departure marks a turning point for HYBE, which has faced scrutiny over its treatment of artists.

Meanwhile, NewJeans continues to thrive, with fans rallying behind the group under the hashtag “#IdolsAreWorkers” amidst the power struggle.

Min stated in her resignation letter: “The actions driven by one person’s malice should never be allowed to damage the ’essence of the business’. That was... cruel of you all.”

Min has vowed to continue her groundbreaking work in the world of K-pop, ending her letter with a message for the road ahead: “I hope you will show great interest in the new K-pop journey I will embark on in the future.”

Full English statement below, provided by a representative of Min Hee Jin

Hello. This is Min Hee Jin.

I am resigning today from my position as an internal director of ADOR. I am also terminating the shareholders’ agreement with HYBE and will hold HYBE legally accountable for violating the shareholders’ agreement. Furthermore, I plan to take necessary legal actions one by one against the numerous illegal activities of HYBE and its associates.

Even in the midst of the hellish dispute with HYBE that has lasted for over seven months, starting with HYBE’s illegal audit in April, I have done my utmost to adhere to the shareholders’ agreement and to restore ADOR to its pre-April state. However, as HYBE still refuses to acknowledge their wrongdoings and shows no signs of change, I have decided that further efforts would be a waste of time.

I had hoped that HYBE would admit their mistakes on their own, and I have worked tirelessly to protect NewJeans within the distorted HYBE. This is also why I sent internal whistleblowing emails twice last April.

However, HYBE, far from showing remorse, has committed the unprecedented folly of fabricating baseless falsehoods and even publicly displaying a shameful illegal audit. They have framed me, a minority shareholder and CEO, with the absurd notion of ”usurping management rights”, conducting a witch hunt and launching ignorant and irrational attacks that are hard to believe coming from a large corporation.

After many twists and turns, it has taken a full seven months for it to become clear that my whistleblowing was based on obvious facts and was a legitimate complaint, while HYBE’s ugly lies and hypocrisy are being revealed one after another.

In fact, HYBE must have known from the beginning that the content of the whistleblowing was all true and a legitimate raising of issues. However, for those who care only about their own interests and glory, addressing the core issue of ”problem-solving” was likely a task they wanted to avoid more than anything else.

I didn’t expect them to repent, but it seems I was naive to believe they would have at least a minimum conscience as human beings. However, just as merely breathing doesn’t mean you’re truly alive, I didn’t want to conform to and settle in this twisted organisation out of attachment to money.

HYBE has continued its hypocritical and contradictory behavior, using its subsidiary labels to file unreasonable lawsuits, nitpick, and engage in unfair media play to try to bury me, while simultaneously presenting a producing work delegation contract full of toxic clauses as if they were doing me a huge favor.

While claiming to want to discuss R&R, which could be considered the essence of the work delegation contract, they repeatedly made incomprehensible demands such as insisting on face-to-face meetings only, citing confidentiality agreements that included unreasonable requirements like forensic consent prior to discussions, and claiming they couldn’t provide R&R documents.

It’s no longer surprising to see the lack of conscience of those who, despite unilaterally dismissing me, spread false information to the media that I had stepped down as CEO to take on producing duties, while demanding ”confidentiality” from others.

HYBE’s atrocities in 2024 will be recorded as an unprecedented case in K-pop history.

For the past seven months, I have fought with all my mental, economic, and physical strength to reclaim ADOR, which was damaged due to HYBE’s serious violation of the shareholders’ agreement. This means that despite it being a hellish fight initiated by the baseless violence of a group masquerading as a large corporation, I have not backed down and have made every effort.

HYBE’s moral hazard has already reached its peak, and although their dirty media play will likely continue, I’m not worried as most people have now reached the point where they can read through the pattern.

Nevertheless, I want to make it clear that if there are forces and media outlets trying to maliciously defame me, I will not stand idly by and will punish them legally. While this unprecedented incident is not over yet, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Bunnies and many others who have tirelessly sent support and encouragement for nearly half a year.

Ironically, it’s also a special blessing that I’ve come to know the best people through fighting against the worst company. Some may not understand why I’ve endured this far, but there must be a reason and meaning for people like me to exist in this world. I hope you will show great interest in the new K-pop journey I will embark on in the future.

I conclude this message with a sense of relief, addressing these words to certain individuals.

“The actions driven by one person’s malice should never be allowed to damage the ’essence of the business.’ That was... cruel of you all.”

Min Hee-jin

Top image from KOREA NOW/YouTube