HYBE, ADOR, and the Min Hee-jin controversy — everything you need to know

If there's been someone who has been condemned to oblivion in the past year, it's Min Hee-jin. She became one of the most polarising figures, owing to a series of allegations, standing at the center of a high-stakes corporate feud that’s shaken Hybe, one of Korea’s biggest entertainment empires.

Hee-jin joined SM Entertainment in 2002 as a graphic designer and eventually became one of the company’s most prominent creative directors. She helped shape the identities of major groups such as Girls’ Generation, SHINee, f(x), EXO, and Red Velvet.

Her work on albums like f(x)’s Pink Tape (2013) and EXO’s Exodus (2015) was noted for its conceptual depth and experimental aesthetics, distinguishing her from the mainstream approach typical of earlier K-pop eras.

In 2017, she was promoted to SM’s board of directors, but by 2018, Min left the company, citing burnout.

In 2019, Min joined Hybe Corporation as Chief Brand Officer, where she oversaw the company’s corporate rebranding — from its minimalist logo to the design of its new headquarters in Yongsan.

Two years later, Hybe appointed her CEO of ADOR (All Doors One Room), a new subsidiary label. Under her leadership, ADOR launched NewJeans in 2022. The group’s debut was critically acclaimed, and Min received the Seoul City Culture Award in 2023 for her contributions to pop culture.

In April 2024, Hybe accused Hee-jin of attempting to take full control of ADOR, prompting an internal audit and a public demand for her resignation. Min denied the accusations, arguing that it would be impossible since Hybe owned 80% of ADOR’s shares.

In response to HYBE’s internal audit, Min Hee-jin went public with a series of statements accusing the parent company of plagiarism and creative infringement.

Speaking to Naver on April 22, Hee-jin said that the core of the dispute centered on “controversy over plagiarism between subsidiaries.” She pointed to the debut of ILLIT, a five-member girl group under HYBE’s BELIFT LAB, noting that fans had drawn clear parallels between ILLIT and NewJeans — particularly in their concept, styling, and choreography.

Hee-jin further argued that “the cultural achievements of NewJeans are, ironically, being most seriously violated by HYBE.” She revealed that she and her team had sent a formal letter to HYBE executives requesting a public statement and corrective action but claimed the company failed to respond.

In a separate interview with Sports Ilgan on April 23, Hee-jin denied allegations that she was attempting to separate ADOR from HYBE or seeking outside investors to take the label independent, emphasising that such claims were unfounded.

Hee-jin claimed the conflict stemmed from Hybe’s failure to address creative similarities between NewJeans and ILLIT, a girl group under Hybe’s subsidiary Belift Lab. The dispute quickly escalated into a public feud, with leaked messages, lawsuits, and dueling press conferences.

Hybe’s share value dropped following the controversy, while public opinion remained divided — some saw Hee-jin as a victim of corporate power struggles; others viewed her as manipulative and unwilling to cooperate within Hybe’s multi-label system.

By August 2024, Hybe’s board dismissed Min as CEO of ADOR, though she initially retained her position as a producer and board member. She formally resigned in November 2024 after losing multiple legal challenges.

HYBE’s subsidiary Source Music, home to LE SSERAFIM, filed its own lawsuit against Min for defamation and disruption of business. The suit stemmed from Min’s April press conference, where she alleged that Source Music’s management decisions led her to form ADOR and that she independently selected the NewJeans members.

Source Music denied those claims, stating the trainees had been chosen and trained under its management. The label is seeking ₩500 million (approximately USD 361,000) in damages.

Furthermore, Hee-jin's tenure at ADOR was also clouded by allegations of misconduct and workplace harassment.

In 2024, a former ADOR employee accused her of verbally abusing her and covering up a sexual harassment complaint against a male superior. While initial investigations found insufficient evidence, in March 2025, the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office fined Min for behavior that “met the threshold of workplace harassment.” She has since appealed the ruling.

Hee-jin also faced breach of trust charges filed by Hybe in April 2024, though she was cleared in July 2025 after police found no grounds for criminal prosecution. Hybe has appealed the decision.

Throughout 2024 and 2025, Hee-jin remained entangled in a series of legal disputes.

As of late 2025, Min remains involved in several ongoing cases, including a criminal complaint she filed against Hybe executives for alleged defamation and mismanagement of NewJeans’ image.