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Min Hee-jin proposes financial sacrifice to resolve legal battle
Former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin has offered to relinquish a court-ordered 25.6 billion won ($17.9 million) payment if entertainment conglomerate Hybe withdraws all lawsuits against K-pop group NewJeans and associated parties.
Dispute origins and escalation
The conflict erupted in August 2024 when Hybe removed Min as CEO of its subsidiary Ador, NewJeans' label. The five-member group, who regarded Min as a mentor, announced plans to leave Ador following her dismissal. However, a South Korean district court ruled in October 2024 that NewJeans must fulfill their contract with Ador, which extends until 2029.
Tensions escalated in December when Hybe terminated NewJeans member Danielle Marsh's contract and filed lawsuits against her for alleged contract violations and damages. The situation intensified earlier this month when a court sided with Min in a put option dispute, ordering Hybe to pay her the 25.6 billion won. Hybe has since appealed the decision.
Min's plea for resolution
In a statement released on Wednesday, Min expressed her distress over the ongoing turmoil, stating she "can no longer bear to watch NewJeans get torn apart" when they "should instead be standing happily on stage."
"I'm here because there are values I desperately want more than a large sum of money."
Min Hee-jin, former Ador CEO
Min urged Hybe to drop all civil and criminal lawsuits against NewJeans members, external partners, former Ador employees, and fans caught in the crossfire. She argued that only by withdrawing these lawsuits would the artists, their families, and fans be freed from "unnecessary noise."
Industry impact and fan reactions
NewJeans, who rose to global prominence as the eighth best-selling act worldwide within a year of their 2022 debut, have been praised for their innovative blend of 1990s R&B and pop melodies. Their public feud with Hybe has sent shockwaves through the K-pop industry, with fans worldwide rallying on social media under the hashtag #FreeNewJeans.
"It's not fair at all. Free NewJeans [all 5 members]. All they wanted to do was to be [artists] and make their fans happy."
Fan comment on Instagram
Call for creative reconciliation
Min concluded her statement with a direct appeal to Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk, proposing a shift from litigation to collaboration: "Let us now meet not in the courtroom, but in the space of creation."
As of Wednesday, Hybe had not responded to Min's offer.
