ADOR, the label under HYBE that houses NewJeans, has stated that it cannot accept Min Hee Jin’s demand to return to her role as CEO.
In a statement to News1, ADOR announced, “The board of ADOR has decided to convene an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting to reappoint Min Hee Jin as an inside director.” However, they added, “The ADOR board members discussed and concluded that the request for her return to the CEO position is currently unacceptable.”
Regarding her reappointment as an inside director, ADOR clarified, “Earlier on the morning of the 11th, we proposed that Min take charge of producing NewJeans for the next five years.” They emphasized, “This five-year period aligns with the entirety of the remaining contract with NewJeans.”
ADOR stated, “With basic guarantees concerning the position, duration, and authority of the producer for NewJeans now established, we expect to discuss specific terms in the future.” They also mentioned, “Detailed responses were provided via email to the members of NewJeans regarding the matters discussed in today’s board meeting and various inquiries.”
ADOR appointed Kim Joo Young as the new CEO during a board meeting on August 27. They explained then, “While Min Hee Jin is stepping down as CEO, she will retain her position as an inside director at ADOR and will continue her work producing NewJeans.”
However, representatives for Min Hee Jin claimed, “This dismissal decision directly violates the shareholder agreement and the injunction against exercising voting rights,” arguing that it was an unlawful decision that unilaterally informed her of her production responsibilities.
Amid this situation, on the 11th, NewJeans conducted an emergency live stream titled “What NewJeans Wants to Say” on YouTube, during which they called for HYBE to reinstate Min Hee Jin as the CEO of ADOR.
In the broadcast, Minji stated, “What we want is for ADOR to return to its original state, with Min Hee Jin as the CEO, integrating management and production.” She also urged Chairman Bang Si Hyuk and HYBE to restore ADOR to its original form by the 25th.
Despite expressing that they cannot accept the request for Min Hee Jin’s return to the CEO position, ADOR proposed guaranteeing her production duties until NewJeans’ contract expires in 2029. All eyes are now on how Min Hee Jin and the members of NewJeans will respond to this proposal.