Former ADOR CEO Min Heejin has reportedly resigned from her position as internal director of the label, thus completely cutting ties with its parent company, HYBE.
On November 20, 2024, in a statement obtained and translated by The Korea Times, Min announced she would resign as internal director of HYBE subsidiary ADOR, a position she was only reappointed to on October 17. She added that she would be terminating her shareholders’ agreement with HYBE and that she planned “to take all necessary legal actions” against “HYBE and its affiliates.”
“For over seven months, I have endured a nightmarish dispute with HYBE, which began with their illegal audit in April,” Min’s statement reads. “I have made every effort to honor the shareholders’ agreement and restore ADOR to its former state before April. However, HYBE’s refusal to acknowledge their wrongdoing and their unyielding stance left me no choice but to conclude that further efforts would be a waste of time.”
Min also said she “worked tirelessly to shield NewJeans” and thanked Bunnies, the official fandom of NewJeans, and others for supporting her over the last six months. She signed off with: “I hope you’ll continue to follow the new K-pop journey I plan to embark on.”
Per Korea JoongAng Daily, ADOR responded to Min’s resignation with a statement. “ADOR is regretful about board member Min Heejin’s unilateral decision to quit the company,” the company said. “We will provide the best support so that NewJeans can grow and develop.”
News of Min’s resignation comes just a week after the members of NewJeans reportedly sent ADOR a 14-day notice claiming they would seek to terminate their exclusive contracts with the company if Min was not reinstated as CEO of ADOR by November 27, among other requests, echoing the demands of their now-deleted YouTube broadcast from September. Before the members sent the notice, the Seoul Central District Court reportedly denied Min’s request to be reinstated as CEO of ADOR.
The same day Min’s resignation was announced, South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor dismissed claims of workplace harassment from NewJeans member Hanni, as reported by Yonhap News. The ministry claimed idols are not classified as workers but rather as “exceptional entities” under the current Labor Standards Act. Hanni testified before the Environment and Labor Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly during an audit in October calling for better artist protection.
