HYBE's response to Min Hee Jin offering to waive 17.9 million dollars to end legal battle

Dubai: It has been a long and messy couple of years for everyone involved in the NewJeans and HYBE dispute. But on February 25, Min Hee Jin offered to give up nearly $18 million in return for Hybe to drop all lawsuits.

Min Hee Jin's current plea

At a press conference in Seoul, Min announced that she was willing to give up the 25.6 billion won court-ordered payment that HYBE had been told to pay her, on one condition: that HYBE drops all ongoing lawsuits connected to the dispute.

That includes legal cases involving NewJeans members, ADOR employees, outsourcing partners, and fans.

She was straightforward about why. "The reason is the NewJeans members," she told reporters. She also acknowledged the significance of the sum she was prepared to let go of, saying it was an amount most people could not earn in a lifetime, and that it was especially meaningful to her given she is now starting fresh with her own label, OOAK Records.

Her message to HYBE was clear: end the litigation, and she will walk away from the money entirely.

A bit of background

To understand why this moment matters, it helps to know how things got here. Min Hee Jin was the creative mind behind NewJeans, working as CEO of ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE. Things turned sour in April 2024 when HYBE accused her of attempting to seize control of ADOR and break away from the company. Min denied this. She was removed as CEO in August 2024 and stepped down as an internal director a few months later.

In November 2024, she attempted to exercise her put option, a contractual right that would allow her to sell her 20 per cent stake in ADOR back to HYBE. HYBE refused, arguing her shareholder agreement had already been terminated. The matter went to court.

On February 12, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in Min's favour, ordering HYBE to pay her approximately 25.5 billion won. The court acknowledged that Min had looked into ways to make ADOR more independent, but said that this did not amount to a serious enough breach of the shareholder agreement to invalidate her put option.

HYBE appealed, and on the same day as the press conference, the court agreed to pause the payment while the appeal is heard.

The lawsuit involving Danielle

One of the most significant cases Min is hoping to see dropped is the damages lawsuit filed by ADOR in December 2025, which seeks around 43.1 billion won from former NewJeans member Danielle, a family member of Danielle's, and Min herself.

ADOR claims that Min and Danielle's family member played a significant role in the group's departure and the disruption that followed. It is a particularly sensitive case given that Danielle is one of five members who were all central to NewJeans' success.

As things stand, Hanni, Haerin, and Hyein have returned to ADOR, while Minji is reportedly still in discussions about her future with the label. Danielle's exclusive contract was terminated by ADOR in December 2025.

HYBE's immediate response

This is where things get interesting. After Min made her offer publicly, HYBE's response was brief and non-committal. The company stated simply that they had no specific position on the matter.

That is not a yes. It is not a no either. Whether that silence is a negotiating tactic, a sign that the offer caught them off guard, or something else entirely, is hard to say.

What is going to happen next

For now, everything remains unsettled. The February 12 ruling is not final while HYBE's appeal is ongoing. Multiple lawsuits are still active. And Min Hee Jin is getting on with building OOAK Records, where she has announced plans to launch a new boy group and is currently accepting audition registrations.

Areeba Hashmi is a trainee at Gulf News.