Min Hee Jin is officially stepping back into idol creation. As the long-running NewJeans saga finally settles and all five members return to ADOR, Min is launching a brand-new chapter of her own through her freshly founded agency, OOAK, an acronym for “Only One Always Known.”
Her first move is already on the calendar: a private in-house audition happening on December 7.
OOAK Holds First Private Audition This Week
As reported by SPOTV News on December 3, OOAK’s first in-house audition will take place on Sunday, December 7. This will be Min Hee Jin’s return to hands-on idol production for the first time since her departure from ADOR. These auditions will not be open to the general public.
Instead, they will be conducted in collaboration with a well-known dance studio academy. It suggests that Min is choosing to scout talent quietly by tapping into a pool of trainees who already train professionally.
Korean media outlets attempted to verify the details directly with an OOAK representative, but the contact information listed for the agency was marked “unavailable” at the time. Previously, OOAK had actively distributed press materials on November 27 regarding Min’s put-option lawsuit against HYBE.
The representative in question had been reachable then. Just under a week later, that line had gone completely silent, and attempts to reconnect have not been successful.
Min Hee Jin Makes a Fresh Start Amid a Legal Fight with HYBE
Min Hee Jin’s return to producing idols is unfolding during one of the most high-stakes legal battles in recent K-pop history. She is currently pursuing a put-option claim against HYBE estimated between approximately 26 and 28.7 billion KRW, and the final court hearing is set for December 18.
Her decision to begin auditions right before this hearing means she is continuing the legal fight while simultaneously rebuilding her creative foundation with OOAK. Rather than stepping back, she appears to be moving forward on both fronts at once.
A Look at Min Hee-jin’s Audition Style and History
To understand what OOAK’s trainee search may look like, it’s useful to revisit Min Hee Jin’s audition style during her ADOR years. She has long preferred large-scale, far-reaching recruitment processes with a focus on global talent and younger age ranges.
Her auditions have also historically invited very young applicants. The November 2023 ADOR call accepted individuals born between 2004 and 2011, and in March 2023, she oversaw male trainee auditions for those born between 2004 and 2012. At the time, the upper limit placed some trainees around 19 years old and the youngest around 11.
While OOAK’s audition is private, many expect Min to bring her same detailed, artistic approach as she starts forming her first group under her new label.
NewJeans’ Complicated Return to ADOR
Min Hee Jin’s new venture with OOAK coincides with the resolution of the highly publicized conflict between NewJeans and ADOR. All five NewJeans members—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—are now returning to ADOR. It is a major turning point after more than a year of disputes, legal actions, and back-and-forth statements.
On November 12, ADOR announced that Haerin and Hyein had decided to return after undergoing careful consideration and conversations with their families. Later that same day, the remaining three members—Minji, Hanni, and Danielle—also announced they would return to ADOR.
Their communication had been slightly delayed because one member had been in Antarctica at the time. The three ultimately chose to rejoin the company after they contacted the member in Antarctica, who was Hanni.
The court had previously ruled that the members’ exclusive contracts with ADOR, which remain valid until 2029, were legally binding.
On November 13, Min Hee Jin publicly commented on the members’ decision. She made it clear that she respected and supported their choice to move back to ADOR.
Later, in a late-November court hearing, she emotionally denied accusations that she had orchestrated the group’s attempt to terminate their contracts. Min asserted that she had been planning a world tour for NewJeans instead and had no intention of dismantling their future.
NewJeans is preparing to move forward with ADOR and resume their activities under the company after a lengthy, complex dispute. At the same time, Min Hee Jin is beginning an entirely new chapter through OOAK—one that starts with a private audition on December 7.
