Min Hee-jin denies NewJeans tampering claims

Jan 29, 2026, 10:51 am

		0
Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Ador. /Yonhap

Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Ador, has flatly denied allegations that she attempted to poach members of the girl group NewJeans before the expiration of their contracts, saying she relinquished all contractual rights for the sake of the group.

Speaking at a press conference in central Seoul on Tuesday, Kim Sun-woong, an attorney at law firm Jiam representing Min, said claims unrelated to Min had been “exaggerated and distorted,” fueling what he called the so-called “NewJeans tampering” allegations.

“The core of these allegations involves certain companies and some individuals connected to members’ families, not Min Hee-jin herself,” Kim said. He added that Min had instead sought an agreement with HYBE, even giving up rights under shareholder agreements, to facilitate NewJeans’ return and resumption of activities.

HYBE and its subsidiary Ador have raised suspicions that Min sought to push for NewJeans’ independence. In December last year, HYBE filed a 10 billion won damages lawsuit against Min, claiming she bore major responsibility for the group’s attempted departure and delays in resuming activities.

Kim rejected those claims, saying Min had “consistently prioritized the group’s normal return to activities.”

He also alleged that certain parties attempted to exploit issues surrounding NewJeans for speculative gains. According to Kim, circumstances suggest involvement by some family members of the artists and officials tied to a specific company, during which Min’s situation was allegedly abused.

As part of its rebuttal, Min’s legal team released portions of recorded conversations related to the company in question, citing instances such as the firm briefly proposing a member’s family member as an internal director candidate at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting before withdrawing the move.

“There was a risk that the names of NewJeans and Min Hee-jin could be used like ‘theme stocks,’” Kim said.

Min’s side said it plans to pursue legal action against certain media outlets and individuals who reported the tampering allegations, including criminal complaints and claims over the spread of false information.

Observers say the legal dispute could become protracted, intertwining with ongoing civil and criminal proceedings between Min and HYBE in the months ahead.

#Min Hee-jin #NewJeans #tampering allegations #Ador #HYBE