- The court affirmed the shareholder agreement and ordered HYBE to pay ₩25.5 billion to Min Hee-jin.
- The judges found no evidence that Min interfered with NewJeans or breached a material contract.
- Legal experts believe the verdict weakens ADOR's ₩43 billion damages claim, unless fresh proof is submitted.
The Seoul Central District Court last week ruled in favor of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin in her fight with the entertainment giant HYBE over her put option rights and the legitimacy of the shareholder agreement that governs her ownership in ADOR. The court ordered HYBE to respect Min's right to sell her shares and award her ₩25.5 billion (~ $17.38 million USD). At the same time, judges denied HYBE's request to confirm the termination of the shareholder agreement, challenging the label's main argument.
Min Hee-jin Damages Dispute ₩43B
As reported by the Korea Herald, the ruling puts pressure on a similar ₩43B (~$29.84M) damages claim brought by ADOR in late 2025, seeking compensation from Min, former NewJeans member Danielle, and a family member for alleged reputational loss and disturbance in group operations. The same court division is considering both cases, and legal experts believe that the most recent verdict undermines similar allegations previously made by HYBE.
According to an anonymous legal expert who spoke with the Korea Herald, the dismissal of these allegations has greatly strengthened Min's legal position. This advantage remains protected unless ADOR can provide conclusive evidence that Min encouraged NewJeans members to look into independent operations while still under contract.
NewJeans
HYBE's allegations in the put option case included claims that Min violated her contract by attempting to remove NewJeans from ADOR and saying that HYBE's new girl group ILLIT stole NewJeans' concept. The court determined that there was insufficient proof of major contractual breaches and that critiques or public utterances did not justify the termination of the shareholder agreement.
HYBE expressed disappointment that the court did not accept its argument, and it intends to analyze the written judgment and file an appeal. Min thanked the court and her supporters, stating that the battle was about safeguarding creative work and could result in industry reform.
That bigger conflict began in early 2024, when HYBE conducted an audit of ADOR's administration and then fired Min as CEO, resulting in many lawsuits and counterclaims. However, in mid-2025, police dropped criminal breach of trust charges against Min, and HYBE filed an objection with prosecutors, marking the continuation of the legal battles.
The Min Hee-jin HYBE dispute is currently at the crossroads of contract law, corporate governance, and the worldwide K-pop economy. According to data from the Korea Times and Korea JoongAng Daily, NewJeans contributed significantly to HYBE in 2023 with a revenue of ₩110B (~$76.07M) and profit of ₩33.5B (~$23.16M). NewJeans has a massive commercial value that has transformed this power struggle into a high-stakes battle. As HYBE’s one of the most vital assets, the resolution of this legal dispute will have an impact on future shareholder rights and management control regulations in South Korea's entertainment industry.
