A high-stakes corporate clash is unfolding at HYBE, the K-pop entertainment juggernaut, as it moves to potentially oust the leader of its subsidiary label ADOR, home to viral girl group NewJeans.
HYBE has confirmed it is auditing ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and other top executives, going so far as to request Min’s resignation in an official letter. The auditing rights were invoked on April 22nd, though HYBE did not provide specifics on the reasons behind scrutinizing Min and her team.
However, ADOR has pushed back fiercely, alleging the audit stems from accusations that HYBE’s new girl group ILLI.T, under a different subsidiary BELIFT LAB, is copying the creative direction and branding of the wildly popular NewJeans. With HYBE founder Bang Si-hyuk involved in ILLI.T’s debut, ADOR claims both BELIFT and the parent company are complicit in the alleged infringement.
Min Hee-jin, an industry veteran who helped develop era-defining acts at SM Entertainment before joining HYBE, has denied speculation she aimed to break ADOR away or seek outside investors. She has not yet directly responded to HYBE’s demands for her resignation.
The conflict surfaces just as NewJeans prepares a new single “Bubble Gum” and eventually their sophomore album, fresh off a history-making rookie year. The group topped the Billboard 200, charted multiple Hot 100 hits, and earned the Top Global K-Pop Artist honor at the 2023 BBMAs under Min’s stewardship of their unique Y2K visual and musical aesthetic.
On the other side, ILLI.T’s debut single “Magnetic” became the first K-pop debut to enter the Hot 100 upon its April release. The perceived creative battle between NewJeans’ vintage concept and ILLI.T’s futuristic lean could be at the crux of the internal company’s conflict.
