Min Hee Jin is facing major controversy. The legal battle between her and HYBE over their shareholder agreement is heating up.
On June 12, the Seoul Central District Court held the third hearing regarding HYBE’s lawsuit. They want to confirm the termination of their agreement with Min Hee Jin, who used to be the CEO of ADOR.
Min Hee Jin’s team pushed back against evidence from HYBE. They claimed some of it, including private KakaoTalk messages and emails, shouldn’t be allowed in court. HYBE shot back, insisting the evidence was valid.
HYBE stated, “The plaintiff’s goal is the growth and development of ADOR. However, this goal became unattainable because of Min Hee Jin.”
They accused her of persuading the members’ parents and issuing directives that have caused trust issues.
HYBE added, “Min Hee Jin prioritized her own interests over NewJeans.”
Min Hee Jin’s defense rebuffed these claims. They said the issue of the agreement termination stems from July 8, and pointed out that an injunction was granted in May to prevent her dismissal as CEO.
“The claim that the members had to declare contract termination for a ‘takeover’ to occur doesn’t make sense,” her side said.
As the battle rages on, HYBE is looking to call one witness, while Min Hee Jin’s side isn’t requesting any.
The next hearing is set for September 11, where witness examinations will take place.
Previously, HYBE disclosed it had a shareholder agreement with a put option related to a 20% stake in ADOR. They terminated this agreement with Min Hee Jin, who later claimed she wanted to exercise her put option for substantial compensation.
Min Hee Jin could claim around 26 billion KRW (approximately 19 million USD) based on her shares. However, HYBE argues this claim is invalid due to her alleged misconduct.
This saga kicked off when HYBE began auditing Min Hee Jin, accusing her of breach of trust and management takeover attempts. Min Hee Jin argues the conflict stems from plagiarism allegations involving NewJeans’ concept by other HYBE labels.
Stay tuned for updates as this situation develops.
Watch the original court hearing updates below:
Check out Twitter reactions and commentary:
Major drama between Min Hee Jin and HYBE! What do you think will happen next? #KPopLegalBattle
— KPopFan (@KPopFan) June 13, 2023
