‘I want to propose a new approach to entertainment management. I also want to shorten contract periods. We should work together because we want to work together,” Min Hee Jin expressed her wish to reform the K-pop industry.
The former NewJeans producer and ADOR CEO has announced that her first major project under her new company, OOAK Records, will be a boy group. She appeared on the Korean YouTube channel on December 4. There, she discussed her current work, her goals for her new label, and her desire to change the way the K-pop system operates.
This is the beginning of a new chapter for Min Hee Jin following her departure from ADOR and her ongoing legal dispute with HYBE, as well as the recent return of NewJeans to ADOR.
During the interview, Min explained that OOAK Records has only just been established. She said she already has team members who are ready to work with her, but they have not been able to start properly because the company does not yet have a physical office building. Despite being at such an early stage, she shared that she has received many calls from investors in Korea and overseas who offered support as soon as the news about her new agency became public.
Min Hee Jin also responded to recent reports about auditions linked to her label. She clarified that a dance academy had included her company in its regular audition schedule without her approval. This made it appear as if she was running a major new audition. She shared, “We have plans to launch the label and other future projects,” adding, “I want to present them in a stylish way, according to my plan.”
When asked about new artist plans, Min Hee Jin said she does not plan to create a girl group anytime soon. She explained that the first team she wants to build is a boy group because she sees a space in the market she wants to fill. She added that she may create a girl group later, but her focus for now is firmly on the boy group.
Min shared, “I don’t think I’ll be making a girl group next. I might do it in the future, but not right now. If I do it, it will be a boy group. That’s just my style. After a boy group comes out, then a girl group will follow.”
Min Hee Jin then spoke in detail about the reforms she wants to see in the industry. She criticized the standard exclusive contracts used for idols, saying they are still written mainly from the company’s point of view and contain many problems. She said many young trainees and their parents sign these contracts without fully understanding them because they are eager to debut.
One of the key changes she wants to push for is shortening the usual seven-year contract period. Her idea is that companies and artists should work together because they choose to, not because they are tied down by long agreements. She believes both sides should feel that they need each other, and that this balance leads to healthier work.
Reflecting on her recent experiences, including her conflict with HYBE, Min said that the situation taught her important lessons about work. She described going through difficult moments and fights. However, they helped her rediscover the value of working and reminded her why she wants to keep creating. She added that earning money is not her main motivation and that success naturally follows when the work itself is done well.
Her legal battle with HYBE continues to be a major topic. The dispute centers on whether she still has the right to exercise a put option that would allow her to sell her roughly 18 percent stake in ADOR back to HYBE for about 26 billion KRW. Min argues that HYBE unfairly ended their shareholder agreement and that her right to sell should still stand.
HYBE claims the termination was justified due to what they call a breach of trust and therefore believe the option is invalid. Min Hee Jin defended her work by saying she was the CEO who earned the most money for HYBE among all its affiliated labels within just two years.
She also briefly addressed NewJeans’ return to ADOR, and appeared confused about why the company announced the members’ returns separately. She said she does not understand why such a young group is being divided in public messaging. Still, she is careful not to speak too much about the members because she does not want to add pressure to them.
