Min Hee-jin, a prominent South Korean music executive, has resigned as the CEO of ADOR, the K-pop agency known for managing the popular girl group NewJeans. The announcement was made on Aug. 27, following a board meeting at ADOR, which is majority-owned by HYBE. Despite stepping down from her CEO position, Min will continue to serve on ADOR’s board of directors and remain involved in producing music for NewJeans. 

“I do not think this is right,” Olivia Park (12), K-Pop listener, said. “I think that Min Hee-jin has done so much for NewJeans and that her creative opinion is necessary in maintaining the group’s unique vibe.”

Min’s resignation marks a significant development in her ongoing dispute with HYBE. Tensions between Min and HYBE had escalated earlier this year, leading to a court ruling in favor of Min’s injunction to prevent HYBE from exercising its voting rights at a shareholder meeting in May. Despite retaining her CEO role after a subsequent board meeting, Min saw two of her close aides dismissed and replaced by HYBE-appointed executives. 

“The whole conflict has been going on for too long,” Kristina Kang (12), NewJeans fan, said. “Fans take it to another level with these kinds of conflicts… Think about how they dealt with the cult scandal in May. It really is crazy.”

In addition to the management changes, Min has faced legal challenges, including questioning by South Korea police over breach of trust allegations and a lawsuit from Source Music, another HYBE subsidiary, seeking damages for defamation and business interference.