Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of Korean agency ADOR, which manages K-pop group NewJeans, resigned as inside director of the company on Nov. 20.
“I am resigning from ADOR’s inside director today. I will also terminate the shareholder agreement I signed with HYBE and hold HYBE legally responsible for its violation of the shareholder agreement. In addition, I will take necessary legal action one by one against HYBE and its associates for their numerous illegal acts,” Min Hee-jin said in a statement, according to Korean media.
Min Hee-jin (Instagram)
NewJeans (Instagram)
In October, ADOR reappointed Min Hee-jin as inside director for a three-year term.
Min Hee-jin has been at odds with HYBE, the parent company of ADOR, since April when she accused ILLIT of plagiarizing NewJeans.
“Even in the midst of the hellish conflict with HYBE that began with HYBE’s illegal audit in April and has continued for over seven months, I have done everything I could to keep the shareholder agreement and return ADOR to its place before April. However, since HYBE has not admitted its wrongdoings and has shown no signs of changing, I have decided that further efforts would be a waste of time,” she said.
She added, “I hoped HYBE would admit its wrongdoings on its own, and I have been working hard to protect NewJeans within the crooked HYBE. That is why I sent internal whistleblowing emails twice in April.”
“However, instead of reflecting, HYBE has committed an unprecedentedly foolish act of fabricating absurd false facts and displaying the shameful illegal audit to the public. They have framed me, a minority shareholder and CEO, as a ‘usurpation of management rights’ and have launched a witch hunt, making ignorant and absurd attacks that are hard to believe for a large corporation.”
Min Hee-jin said she will embark on a new K-pop journey.
“I hope you will also pay much attention to the new K-pop journey that I will unfold in the future,” she said.
ADOR commented on Min Hee-jin’s resignation by stating, “ADOR regrets Director Min Hee-jin's unilateral notice of resignation. Our company will do its best to support Jeans so that it can grow and develop further."
NewJeans recently made demands on ADOR including bringing back Min Hee-jin as ADOR CEO. They said failure to do so will result in the termination of their exclusive contracts with the agency.