Min Hee-jin to continue as ADOR CEO after shareholders' meeting, court case win

Min Hee-jin, CEO of NewJeans' agency ADOR and the girl group's producer, at a press conference on April 25 in southern Seoul [YONHAP]

Min Hee-jin will keep her position as the CEO of ADOR, agency of girl group NewJeans, signaling a monumental victory in the first round of her monthlong battle with HYBE.

The decision came at the ADOR shareholders' meeting held Friday morning in Seoul, where HYBE was blocked from exercising its rights as the 80-percent owner of ADOR after the Seoul Central District Court ruled in Min’s favor a day earlier, approving her request for an injunction.

Min had filed for an injunction to the Seoul Central District Court to prevent HYBE from exercising its rights as ADOR’s major shareholder. She argued that the contract between herself and HYBE explicitly stated that she should serve as ADOR’s CEO for five years and that it is therefore, unfair for HYBE to demand her resignation.

HYBE, agency of boy band BTS and more, owns 80 percent of ADOR, while Min owns 18 percent and other ADOR executives own the remaining 2 percent.

HYBE has been accusing Min of trying to “seize control” of ADOR by getting a third-party investor to buy her company’s shares and become the new majority stakeholder of the NewJeans agency instead of HYBE. HYBE began an audit against Min and other ADOR staff and reported Min to the police for breach of trust.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]