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On Tuesday (Jul 15), it was announced that Min Hee-jin – the former CEO of entertainment label Ador and the person behind K-pop girl group NewJeans – was cleared of breach of trust charges, and that the case would not be brought to prosecution.
In April last year, Min's former employer, entertainment conglomerate Hybe, filed a criminal complaint for breach of trust against her, claiming that she and her executives had planned to take full control of Ador, a label that Hybe owned 80 per cent of the shares of at the time.
She denied the allegations, stating that it would have been impossible for her to usurp management control with her shares, which amounted to 18 per cent then.
In August, Min was removed from her position as Ador CEO. However, she was still a producer for NewJeans and a part of Ador's board of directors. She eventually resigned from her director position in November and left the label.
Min Hee-jin speaking at a press conference in May 2024. (Photo: AFP/Han Myung-gu)
Representatives of Min said on Tuesday: “In April last year, Hybe filed a criminal complaint against Min Hee-jin for breach of trust in the course of duty.
“Today, we have been informed that the police have decided not to move forward with either of the two cases filed by Hybe, concluding them as 'no suspicion'.”
Hybe has since announced that it would be filing an objection against the decision, stating: “Following the police investigation, new developments such as the announcement by NewJeans members to terminate their contracts have occurred and numerous new pieces of evidence have been submitted in the related trials.”
Members of South Korean K-Pop group NewJeans attend a press conference to declare contract termination with the band's label citing multiple reasons including unfair treatment, in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
The members of NewJeans had previously expressed their support for Min Hee-jin. In September last year, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein held a live stream where they spoke about the conflict between Min and Hybe, saying that it "directly affected their lives".
In the video, the quintet requested that Min be reinstated as CEO, saying: “What we want is the original Ador, where CEO Min Hee-jin leads both management and production.”
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