No Evidence, No Charges: Min Hee-jin Walks Free from Hybe’s Claims

Police Drop Charge After Yearlong Investigation; Hybe to Appeal to Prosecution
Former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin, who faced breach of trust accusations from parent company Hybe, has been exonerated by police after a comprehensive investigation.

On Tuesday, Min’s legal representatives announced that following a meticulous year-long inquiry, law enforcement found no evidence of illegal conduct on Min’s part. As a result, the criminal complaint filed by Hybe was dismissed without referral to the prosecution.

Hybe had lodged a complaint on April 26, 2024, alleging that Min and other Ador executives attempted to wrest control of the company. The accusation was based on KakaoTalk messages purportedly outlining a plan to seize management rights.

Min’s defense team argued that such a takeover was structurally unfeasible, given Hybe’s 80 percent ownership stake in Ador. They maintained that there was no intent to diminish the company’s value or engage in any actions constituting a breach of trust.

In August last year, Ador’s board appointed in-house director Kim Joo-young as the new CEO. Min subsequently stepped down from her role as CEO and officially resigned as an internal director on November 20.

Hybe has stated its intention to challenge the police decision by appealing to the prosecution.

“Since the initial police investigation, new developments have come to light, including NewJeans members expressing their desire to terminate their contracts. In related court proceedings, multiple new pieces of evidence were presented, leading the court to view Min’s actions as highly concerning,” Hybe asserted.

The company also emphasized that police had previously dismissed complaints filed by Min, in which she accused five Hybe executives of business obstruction and defamation.

While Min has been cleared of the breach of trust charge, she still faces civil litigation from Hybe subsidiaries Source Music and Belift Lab.

The Seoul Western District Court is scheduled to hold a third hearing on Friday for both lawsuits filed by the labels seeking compensation for damages.

Source Music, which manages the girl group Le Sserafim, has filed a 500 million KRW (362,000 USD) lawsuit. The company claims that Min defamed them during an April 2024 press conference by stating that “Hybe prevented NewJeans from being promoted until after Le Sserafim’s debut,” implying favoritism towards the latter group.

Belift Lab, responsible for managing the girl group Illit, has also filed a lawsuit for 2 billion KRW (1.5 million USD). They allege that Min’s public accusation of Illit “copying NewJeans” caused severe reputational damage to their brand.

Simultaneously, Min is embroiled in a separate legal dispute with Hybe over a put option valued at approximately 26 billion KRW (19.5 million USD).

In November last year, Min notified Hybe of her intention to exercise her put option, which would entitle her to receive 26 billion KRW (19.5 million USD). However, Hybe contends that Min’s rights to the put option are no longer valid, as the shareholder agreement was terminated in July 2024.

The court is expected to review the legal validity of the put option alongside Hybe’s separate lawsuit seeking confirmation of the shareholder agreement’s termination.