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Min Hee-jin's ex-boyfriend behind K-pop agency that signed NewJeans during ADOR dispute

Published: 18 Dec. 2025, 19:32

YOON SO-YEON
[email protected]

Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of girl group NewJeans' agency ADOR, appears at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 11. [NEWS1]

The CEO of the K-pop agency that was rumored to have signed members of girl group NewJeans during their dispute with ADOR was the ex-boyfriend of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, admitted the music producer on Thursday during a court hearing for her lawsuit against HYBE.

During the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, HYBE asked Min whether she intended to use BANA Entertainment — a K-pop agency founded by Kim Ki-hyeon that was rumored to have signed NewJeans members before their contract with ADOR ended — as a way to get out of the noncompete clause of her shareholders contract with HYBE.

“Absolutely not,” she answered. “Kim Ki-hyeon is a very capable man who produced all of NewJeans' songs.” When asked whether they were in a relationship when ADOR's board voted to take her down as the CEO, Min answered that they had broken up before she began working on NewJeans.

HYBE argued that Min promised a part of her put option on ADOR's shares to Kim. Min did not deny this, but said that it was “based on personal decisions.”

The hearing took place as part of a lawsuit filed by HYBE against Min to ask the court to legalize the company's termination of the shareholders contract between HYBE and Min. HYBE terminated the contract between the two parties in July last year, arguing that Min tried to take control of ADOR — a HYBE subsidiary — and caused damage to the company in the process.

Min was voted down as the CEO of ADOR in August last year. She voluntarily stepped down as a member of the board at ADOR and asked to exercise her put option to HYBE. HYBE argued that because the shareholders contract was rightfully terminated in July, the company was not obligated to buy her shares. Min argued that the contract was still valid because she had not violated the deal.

BY YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]