ADOR Proposes Compromise to Min Hee-jin Without Success

ADOR Proposes Compromise to Min Hee-jin Without Success: K-POP / 연합뉴스 / 2024-09-25 17:32:54

▲ ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin attends a press conference in Seoul on May 31, 2024, in this pool photo. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- ADOR, the agency of NewJeans, held a board meeting on the 25th, the deadline set by the group members, to propose an extension of Min Hee-jin's term as an internal director. However, the firm decided not to reinstate her as CEO. As tensions between the two sides escalated, ADOR's last-minute compromise has drawn attention to the group's response.

According to industry sources, ADOR's board decided to convene an extraordinary shareholders' meeting to reappoint Min as an internal director. It was reported that Min attended the meeting in her capacity as a current board member. HYBE, which holds 80% of ADOR's shares, has indicated it respects this proposal, making it likely that Min's term as an internal director will be extended if the shareholders' meeting proceeds. Her current term ends on November 1.

While Min has maintained her request for a return as CEO, she has reportedly expressed willingness to accept the three-year reappointment as an internal director. ADOR's board, however, concluded that reinstating her as CEO was not feasible.

NewJeans had previously set a deadline of September 25 for HYBE to reinstate Min as CEO, a demand made during a live broadcast on September 11. During the broadcast, the group expressed their dissatisfaction, stating they did not want to "conform or follow the people involved in that society" (presumed to be HYBE or the current ADOR management).

▲ This image, provided by ADOR, shows the K-pop agency's new CEO Kim Ju-young. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The ADOR board consists of CEO Kim Ju-young, internal directors Lee Kyung-jun, Lee Do-kyung, Min Hee-jin, and outside director Kim Hak-ja, with HYBE representatives making up at least three of the five members, giving them a majority. Earlier, on September 11, ADOR had offered Min a role overseeing NewJeans' production for the remaining five years of their contract, which she declined.

With this latest development, ADOR has responded to NewJeans' deadline by offering a compromise: maintaining Min as a board member but without reinstating her as CEO, while keeping her in charge of production. ADOR reportedly conveyed the results of the board meeting to the NewJeans members via email.

However, as the group's key demand for Min's return as CEO has not been met, attention is now focused on how NewJeans will respond and what their next steps will be.