Dispute with Hybe
On April 22, 2024, Hybe Corporation started an internal audit on Min and her executives for allegedly attempting to seize full control of ADOR, and publicly called for Min's resignation as the CEO.[22][23] In response, Min issued a public statement rebutting the allegation, claiming that it would have been impossible for her to seize control of ADOR since Hybe owns 80% of the shares.[24] Min claimed that she was asked to resign because of her complaints towards the creative similarities in artistic direction between NewJeans and Illit, a girl group that had debuted under Hybe's subsidiary label Belift Lab. Min blamed Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk, who oversaw the production of Illit's debut, for failing to address the creative similarities between the two groups.[25] Following the dispute, Hybe Corporation's share value fell by 12.17%.[26]
Hybe subsequently released the findings of their investigations to support the claims made against Min, including messages exchanged on KakaoTalk between Min and ADOR's vice president, where the latter listed methods to take control of NewJeans' activities.[27][28] Hybe also filed a complaint to authorities against Min for breach of trust.[29] Min addressed the allegations on April 25, 2024, at an emergency press conference, accompanied by her two lawyers. She stated that there was no concrete plan to leave Hybe, and that tensions with Hybe executives started when Le Sserafim's debut was prioritized over NewJeans'.[30] Following the press conference, Korean public opinion reportedly sided in Min's favor, viewing her as a creator uninterested in politics that couldn't get her concerns and efforts to be recognized by Hybe. Others criticized Min for explicitly mentioning other groups' names and perceived her copycat accusations as groundless.[31]
On May 7, Min filed an injunction against Hybe to prevent the company from exercising its voting rights at the next shareholders' meeting, where she expected to be removed as CEO of ADOR.[32][33] On May 17, the hearing for Min's injunction began, and the members of NewJeans filed a petition with the Seoul Central District Court to prevent Min's dismissal from ADOR.[34][35] That same day, Min's alleged KakaoTalk chats were leaked, showing Min making disparaging remarks about NewJeans, as well as their fans, with a colleague.[36][37] On May 19, NewJeans' parents submitted their own petition to the court in Min's favor,[38] while several executives of Hybe,
On May 30, the court upheld the injunction filed by Min, disallowing Hybe from exercising its voting rights to dismiss her as CEO,[41] stating that there was no actual implementation stage to gain full control of ADOR.[42] During the next shareholders' meeting, two executives of ADOR close to Min were dismissed from their functions and replaced by Hybe's board members.[43]
On July 15, 2024, Source Music filed a lawsuit against Min. The lawsuit alleges that Min interfered with Source Music's operations, causing financial losses and breaching contractual obligations.[44] On August 22, 2025, the Seoul Central District Court accepted Min Hee-jin's KakaoTalk messages as admissible evidence. The lawsuit alleges that Min defamed the company by claiming she personally cast the members of NewJeans and accusing Source Music of neglect. Min's legal team had argued the messages were unlawfully obtained, but the court ruled that since the device was accessed with a known password, the acquisition did not violate communication privacy laws. Meanwhile, the court rejected Source Music's request to submit a multimedia presentation, stating oral arguments in open court were sufficient. The next hearing is scheduled for November 7, 2025, at 4:30 p.m.[45]
On August 27, Min was dismissed as the CEO of ADOR by the current board members. Hybe stated that "the separation of production and management has been a consistent principle of (Hybe's) multi-label system". Min disagreed, stating that it was a "grave violation of the shareholders' agreement".[14] Two weeks after the dismissal, the members of NewJeans made a public demand for HYBE to reinstate Min as the CEO of ADOR by September 25, in a live stream held on YouTube.[46] Following the public demand, Hybe Corporation's share value fell by nearly 3%.[47] Despite the conflict, Min vowed to move forward with NewJeans' future plans in an interview with TV Asahi, stating that she "[has] a plan to overcome these challenges".[48] On October 29, Min's injunction to be reinstated as CEO of ADOR was rejected by the Seoul Central District Court.[49]
On November 26, Min filed a criminal complaint against Hybe's CCO Park Tae-hee and a PR director identified as Cho. Her representatives claimed in a statement that Park and Cho "not only failed to fulfil their obligations but caused significant damage to NewJeans and ADOR by downplaying the group's achievements", while adding that they hope "appropriate criminal penalties are imposed".[50][51] On December 2, Korean tabloid outlet Dispatch published an article which argued that Min had been manipulating NewJeans' members against Hybe. In response Min filed a defamation case against two Dispatch reporters and two Hybe top executives, claiming that her private conversations had been used illegally in the article.[52][53][54]
On January 9, 2025, Chairman Park Jung-kyu of the tech company Davolink alleged in an interview that Min had made efforts to "poach" NewJeans. He also mentioned that there had been previous discussions between him and Min regarding potential investment and the possibility of NewJeans leaving ADOR to sign exclusive contracts with another company.[55]
In early 2025, Min faced scrutiny over allegations of workplace misconduct and breach of trust. In January, the Ministry of Employment and Labor dismissed initial complaints of workplace harassment against her.[56] However, in March, the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office issued an administrative fine against Min, determining that certain actions met the threshold for workplace harassment under South Korean labor law. Min appealed the decision.[57]
In June, new developments emerged during ongoing court proceedings between Hybe and Min. Evidence presented in court included claims that Min had a hand in crafting emails that were publicly released by the families of NJZ (formerly NewJeans), raising questions about her role in shaping public narratives.[58]
A major legal decision occurred on July 15, when the Seoul Yongsan Police Station cleared Min of all breach of trust allegations that had been filed by Hybe in April 2024. Authorities concluded there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.[59] Following the decision, Hybe announced its intent to appeal, stating that it had uncovered new evidence and legal grounds to challenge the police's conclusion.[60]
On December 30, ADOR sued Min, Danielle Marsh, and one of Marsh's family members for approximately ₩43.1 billion (US$29.8 million) in damages.[61]
On February 12, 2026, the court ruled in favor of Min in both her lawsuit seeking payment for shares under a put option agreement and Hybe's lawsuit seeking confirmation that the shareholder agreement was terminated. After the validity of Min's put option right is finalized, Min is set to receive ₩25.5 billion (US$17.7 million) from Hybe.[62] On the 27th, Min publicly offered to forgo her put option in exchange that legal action against her and relevant parties would cease.[63]
