ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin resigns amid bullying, sexual harassment allegations
Min Hee-jin, the CEO of ADOR Entertainment, has resigned from her position following accusations of bullying and sexual harassment. The agency behind the popular K-pop girl group NewJeans announced that Min will continue her association with the group as an in-house director and producer. Per reports, the allegations against Min include violations of the Labor Standards Act and Personal Information Protection Act.
Min faces criminal complaint and lawsuit from ex-employee
A former ADOR employee has reportedly filed a criminal complaint against Min, alleging violations of the Labor Standards Act and Personal Information Protection Act. This individual has also filed a civil and criminal lawsuit against her. In addition, another executive at ADOR has accused Min of engaging in unfair practices within the workplace. South Korean media outlet SPOTV News reported that now the agency has appointed Kim Joo-young as the new CEO, who is expected to stabilize the organization.
Min allegedly removed from her position without consent
In a surprising development, Min has alleged that HYBE (which has an 80% stake in ADOR) dismissed her from her role as CEO of ADOR without her consent. She received sudden notice on August 24 about a board meeting scheduled for Tuesday (August 27), which she attended via phone. Her representative asserted that her removal was a unilateral decision, describing it as a serious breach of the shareholder agreement.
ADOR to separate production and management roles
In their official statement, ADOR highlighted their intention to separate production and management roles within the organization. The agency also assured its commitment to supporting NewJeans's growth and success under the new leadership. In a separate development, Source Music, the agency representing LE SSERAFIM, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Min for 500M KRW ($371K). This legal action adds to the existing allegations against her.
A longstanding feud with HYBE resulted in Min's removal
Min's removal as CEO is the result of a prolonged conflict with HYBE, which began when she was accused of attempting to leverage ADOR's management rights against the parent company. The Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system reveals that the parent company has terminated the shareholders' agreement with Min. Given the lawsuit's timing, K-media speculates that the termination likely occurred in July. As a result, Min has lost her position guarantee as ADOR's CEO until November 2026.
