HYBE Co. has dismissed Min Hee-jin from her position as CEO of ADOR, the label behind the popular girl group NewJeans. This move follows a lengthy legal struggle after a court ruling previously prevented Min’s removal. HYBE’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Kim Ju-young, has been appointed as the new CEO of ADOR, replacing Min, who will remain on the board and continue to produce music for NewJeans.
Min has criticized the decision, claiming it violates a shareholders’ agreement that should have kept her in the CEO role until 2026. HYBE, however, has terminated the contract and initiated legal action to nullify it, arguing that separating management from creative production is essential across its labels. This dispute has intensified since Min’s allegations that HYBE retaliated against her for whistleblowing about a sister label’s practices.
The conflict highlights the broader tensions within HYBE as it seeks to balance its multi-label strategy while managing high-profile internal conflicts.
