Min Heejin Releases Statement in HYBE Lawsuit Case: Former ADOR CEO Breaks Silence After Months

In response to the ongoing legal battle with ADOR and HYBE, Min Hee-Jin has finally broken her silence on the matter. In response to the lawsuit hearing on April 17 regarding the expiration of the shareholder agreement, the former ADOR CEO made her first public statement.
According to the official statement released by Hee-Jin’s legal representatives, Law Firm Sejong LLC, HYBE was unable to officially provide proof that the termination was valid in any sense. They shared, “This pertains to the case regarding the confirmation of the termination of the shareholders’ agreement which proceeded today.”
“Min Hee-Jin’s legal representative has already submitted written arguments twice, refuting the injustice of the grounds for termination claimed by HYBE. Rather, it is HYBE that has failed to provide any rebuttal regarding the illegality of the termination notice, among other points raised by Min Hee-Jin’s side.”
HYBE originally claimed that Min Hee-Jin’s termination was legal, as the shareholder contract between the former CEO and the company had already expired. As quoted by Koreaboo,
According to a report by Korean news outlet Kbizoom, the shareholder agreement involved in the lawsuit also had a claim that ensured that Min Hee-Jin remains the CEO of ADOR for a tenure of at least 5 years. It also gave her permission to sell 13.5% of her shares out of the total 18%.
In a statement put out by HYBE, Hee-jin sold her shares off in November 2024, after she announced that she would be resigning from her post. The company stated that this action was in breach of her contract and agreement.
The court has also agreed to a joint trial by merging two major lawsuits in the case. According to the previously mentioned report by Kbizoom, the Seoul Central District Court has agreed to join two major lawsuits involving ADOR’s former CEO and HYBE. One of the lawsuits involves HYBE’s claim of confirmation about the termination of their shareholder agreement. The second lawsuit being merged into this involves Min Hee-Jin’s claim for compensation of 26 billion KRW.
As shared by Sportskeeda, this decision comes after the second hearing took place on April 17. The court concluded on the note that both of the cases, while the cases are different, are also correlated to one another, making the decision to come for a joint trial necessary. The next hearing for the case has been decided to be set for June 12, 2025.