Min Hee-jin Reappointed as In-House Director at ADOR: Essential Information

On Thursday, October 17, 2024, Min Hee-jin was re-elected as the internal director of ADOR, commonly referred to as the in-house director, during an emergency shareholders’ meeting. Her new employment terms will extend her role as ADOR’s internal director for a period of three years, beginning November 2, 2024.

It’s important to clarify that the responsibilities of an internal director differ from those of a CEO. Hee-jin’s position at ADOR will focus on overseeing the activities of NewJeans alongside the development of upcoming projects for the group.

“Today, Ador convened a temporary shareholders’ meeting, re-electing former CEO Min Hee-jin as an internal director,” reported Newsen.

Min Hee-jin was removed from her position as ADOR’s CEO on August 27, 2024, leading to the appointment of Kim Joo-young as her successor. Nevertheless, the HYBE-affiliated company extended a contract to Min Hee-jin, allowing her to serve as the internal director of ADOR for a transitional period of two months ending in November 2024. She declined this contract, insisting on her reinstatement as CEO.

In response to the rookie girl group NewJeans showing their support for Min Hee-jin, ADOR hosted another emergency shareholders’ meeting on September 25. During a livestream on YouTube, NewJeans called for her reinstatement as CEO by that date, yet the shareholders collectively dismissed this request.

During the September meeting, ADOR presented a revised contract to Min Hee-jin, proposing she take on the role of internal director for NewJeans for five years or for the remainder of their contract, but she once again refused to sign.

According to Sports Kyunghyang, the independent board of directors at ADOR stated on September 25 that reinstating Min Hee-jin to the CEO role was deemed “unacceptable”:

“The board convened to propose that Director Min be reappointed as an internal director. However, the Ador board concluded that demands for her reinstatement as CEO are currently unfeasible.”

On October 17, 2024, an emergency shareholders’ meeting took place after the former ADOR CEO filed an injunction aiming to secure her reappointment as the company’s leader. In the latest modified contract terms, her tenure as internal director was reduced from five years to three years.

Final Hearing on Min Hee-jin’s Injunction for ADOR’s CEO Role Set for Late October

The conflict between HYBE and its subsidiary label ADOR, previously led by Min Hee-jin, has been ongoing since March 2024. The parent company accused her of attempting to seize control of ADOR and NewJeans, undermining HYBE’s authority. Allegations of her colluding with Dunamu, HYBE’s third-largest shareholder, to manipulate HYBE’s stock prices also surfaced.

To retain her position as CEO, Min Hee-jin filed a legal injunction to prevent the parent company from exercising its rights as the majority shareholder, as HYBE holds an 80% stake in ADOR.

She initially succeeded in her legal battle, maintaining her CEO title, but was ultimately dismissed by ADOR’s board on August 27, 2024. On September 13, she initiated yet another injunction seeking to reclaim her CEO position.

The first hearing of this second injunction took place on October 11, 2024, at the Seoul Central District Court. Korea Joongang Daily reported a statement from the court:

“Both parties are reiterating arguments from the May 30 injunction case, which frankly is a waste of valuable time.”

The court has placed a deadline for the submission of relevant documents until October 25, 2024, and will issue its final ruling by the month’s end.

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