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Who is Min Hee Jin? ADOR’s CEO and brain behind NewJeans in ongoing feud with HYBE
ADOR’s CEO Min Hee Jin’s ongoing power battle with HYBE has created significant buzz online. Amid the chaos, let’s know her in detail.
HYBE is one of the top entertainment agencies in South Korea that houses big names like BTS, TXT, and more. This multi-level company has established many subsidiary groups over the years, to venture into more diverse production of K-pop artists. ADOR is also one of those subsidiaries that formed the popular K-pop girl group NewJeans. The brains behind the new generation group are none other than ADOR’s CEO Min Hee Jin,
Min Hee Jin's journey with SM Entertainment
Min Hee Jin recently got entangled in a feud with HYBE, making many shocking revelations. In light of the recent incidents, let’s have a closer look at her works in K-pop, while also knowing about the ongoing power battle. Born in 1979, the 47-year-old woman had an impressive run in K-pop behind the scenes, before bagging her position as the ADOR’s CEO.
After attending Seoul Women’s University with a visual design degree, she pursued her career in the same field, landing a graphic designer job at SM Entertainment, which she joined in 2006.
Later, she was promoted to a creative director position leading the visual branding of K-pop sensations like Girls’ Generation, SHINee, EXO, f(x), and Red Velvet. She supervised the planning and production of the album’s visual design, artwork, costumes, and music videos.
She also participated in creating the K-pop group’s branding through non-visual elements like overseeing some promotional activities and fan interactions. Min Hee Jin gradually rose to a prominent figure in the K-pop scene with her concept-driven portfolios, setting a new standard of visual designs in K-pop.
In 2017, She joined the board director of SM Entertainment. However, a year later, in 2018, she parted ways with the company, citing exhaustion.
Min Hee Jin's rise to CEO position with HYBE's subsidiary ADOR, creating girl group New
In 2019, Min Hee Jin joined HYBE and supervised the corporation’s rebranding process. In November 2021, she was appointed as the CEO of the company’s subsidiary ADOR, also known as All Doors One Room.
In the following year, with ADOR, Min Hee Jin unveiled a new group called NewJeans, introducing a trendsetting Y2K concept in K-Pop. The five-piece group quickly rose to fans’ attention with their distinctive music style and refreshing visuals, bringing credit to the CEO as the brains behind it all.
What's happening between Min Hee Jin and HYBE? Ongoing feud explained
On April 22, 2024, suddenly a feud occurred between Min Hee Jin and HYBE. At first, allegations surfaced against the ADOR CEO, that she had been planning to usurp management power from HYBE, by outsourcing other investments.
She was also accused of leaking private information while taking help from HYBE insiders to orchestrate her scheme. Shortly after, HYBE launched an audit against her, visiting ADOR’s office to seize electronic assets with information and secure statements from eyewitnesses.
Further reports suggested that Min Hee Jin was asked to step down from the CEO position, after evidence directed towards her plan to separate ADOR from HYBE.
Just hours after all these reports, Min Hee Jin relayed a statement through Korean media outlet Hankyung, blaming HYBE for her decision to seek separation, resulting in a power struggle between the two companies.
In further detail, she accused the corporation of plagiarism, as she mentioned HYBE’s newly-formed girl group ILLIT’s similarities with NewJeans. In the long statement, she went on to talk about how the new girl group’s concept, visuals, music, and promotional activities everything closely resemble the group she created.
Notably, she mentioned that though ILLIT was formed under the subsidiary Belift Lab, HYBE’s CEO Bang Si Hyuk directly took part in the group’s launching. According to her statement, she became afraid that NewJeans would be taken away from her, hence she made such a decision to protect the young artist affiliated with her company.
Min Hee Jin also mentioned that for a long time, she has been trying to contact Belift Lab, but has yet to receive any response from the other party, In addition, with the intention management board she reportedly sent an official message to Belift Lab to provide her with a statement regarding ‘copying’ NewJeans’ visual branding.
This ongoing power battle seems to have just started between HYBE and Its subsidiary ADOR. At the same time, Min Hee Jin’s fate as the CEO of the corporation would be decided on the final climax of this feud.
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