Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has officially rejected an offer to continue as the producer of the popular K-pop group NewJeans just days following Min being replaced as the head of the HYBE-owned label, according to Music Business World.
Min’s role as NewJeans‘ producer hit a snap as a disagreement ensued regarding a proposed agreement that would have extended Min’s role as the group’s producer until her contract with ADOR expires on November 1st.
“Hybe’s announcement that Min would continue to work with NewJeans, as reported on Tuesday (August 27), was never agreed upon,” Macoll Consulting said in an official statement, via the Korea Herald. “It is unrealistic to expect the successful completion of crucial production tasks, such as preparing for NewJeans’ world tour in 2025, under such a short-term contract.”
The agreement hit a sour note with the inclusion of a one-year non-compete clause which Min contends was disproportionately long given the short duration of the proposed agreement, and Min also reportedly had concerns about a clause that could have allowed HYBE to terminate her contract prematurely.
“We don’t have a producer yet to work with NewJeans. If things don’t work out, we will have to find an alternative,” a HYBE official stated. “However, that outcome would suggest she did all this for financial gain in the end.”
HYBE recently announced that Kim Ju-young would be taking over for Min as the new CEO of ADOR amid an ongoing legal dispute.
Min, who co-founded ADOR in 2021, played a key role in the label’s success and was instrumental in the success of NewJeans debut.
