HYBE Rejects Min Hee-jin’s $18 Million Peace Offer, Digging In for a Protracted Legal War Over NewJeans
The high-stakes conflict between K-pop giant HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has taken another dramatic turn. Hopes for a swift resolution were dashed this week as HYBE officially rejected Min’s public offer to forgo a court-ordered $18 million payment in exchange for peace. Instead of accepting the olive branch, HYBE has chosen to escalate, depositing the funds with the court to stay the verdict and signaling its intent to pursue a lengthy and punishing legal battle. The move leaves the future of powerhouse girl group NewJeans hanging in the balance and ensures this bitter corporate feud is far from over.
The $18 Million Olive Branch
On February 25, in a move that captured the industry’s attention, Min Hee-jin held a press conference to make a dramatic public plea. Fresh off a significant legal victory on February 12, where the Seoul Central District Court ordered HYBE to honor her put option and pay her approximately 25.6 billion won (around $17.9 million), Min offered to give it all up. Her condition was simple and sweeping: HYBE must drop all ongoing civil and criminal lawsuits against her, the NewJeans members, former ADOR employees, and even fans caught in the crossfire.
“I have decided to exchange 25.6 billion won for another value,” Min stated, her voice resonating with a mix of frustration and conviction. “The reason is the NewJeans members. I can no longer bear to watch NewJeans get torn apart when its five members should instead be standing happily on stage.”
Her proposal was framed as a sacrifice for the artists she mentored, a desperate bid to end the “unnecessary noise” and allow the group to heal and return to their creative work. She ended her statement with a direct address to HYBE’s influential chairman, Bang Si-hyuk, urging, “Let us now meet not in the courtroom, but in the space of creation.”
A Swift and Decisive Rejection
HYBE’s response was as swift as it was brutal. According to reports from multiple outlets, including the Korea JoongAng Daily, on the very same day as Min’s press conference, HYBE deposited approximately $20.5 million with the court. This sum, which covers the payment owed to Min and two other former ADOR executives, was not a settlement. It was a legal maneuver to stay the enforcement of the court’s ruling, buying time while the company proceeds with a full-throated appeal. The message was clear: there would be no truce.
For HYBE, this battle appears to be about more than just money. Accepting Min’s offer could be perceived as a concession, a validation of her narrative that she was a wronged creative fighting a corporate machine. By rejecting the deal, HYBE maintains control of the narrative, framing the dispute as a matter of corporate principle and a necessary defense against an alleged attempt by Min to usurp management control. For a global entertainment powerhouse, precedent and vindication are seemingly worth more than a quick $18 million saving.
The Fractured State of NewJeans
Caught in the middle of this corporate war are the five young women who form NewJeans. Once hailed as a game-changer that became the eighth biggest-selling act in the world within a year of their 2022 debut, the group is now fractured. While members Hanni, Haerin, and Hyein returned to ADOR in mid-November 2025, the status of Minji remains shrouded in uncertainty, with reports of ongoing discussions but an unnerving public silence.
The situation is most dire for Danielle. In December 2025, ADOR terminated her exclusive contract and, alongside HYBE, filed a staggering 43.1 billion won (nearly $30 million) damages lawsuit against her, a family member, and Min Hee-jin. Now technically independent, Danielle has launched a personal YouTube channel, a small act of defiance in a career suddenly thrown into turmoil.
A Battle of Narratives, Not Just Numbers
As reporter Shin Ha-nee of the Korea JoongAng Daily noted, this saga has devolved from a corporate dispute into a “culture war,” pulling other major K-pop acts into its orbit and polarizing the fan community. The burden of this protracted legal fight is asymmetrical. HYBE, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate, can absorb the costs and weather the storm. Min, now heading her own fledgling label, OOAK Records, faces a much greater risk. The ongoing litigation casts a long shadow over her new ventures, potentially deterring investors and trainees.
HYBE’s refusal to settle suggests a strategy to win not just in court, but in the court of public opinion, aiming to establish a definitive narrative of betrayal and restore corporate order. Min’s public offer, while perhaps a genuine plea for the group’s well-being, was also a savvy PR move, positioning her as the self-sacrificing mentor against a cold, unyielding corporation.
What’s Next for Min Hee-jin and NewJeans?
With the legal battle set to continue indefinitely, the future is uncertain. Min Hee-jin is pushing forward with her new label, OOAK Records, and has already begun holding auditions for a new boy group. However, the specter of the HYBE lawsuit will loom large over these new beginnings.
For NewJeans, the path forward is even murkier. Can the group ever truly reunite and reclaim their former glory while their mentor and one of their members are locked in a legal war with their parent company? Or will this conflict permanently scar one of the most promising acts of their generation? The K-pop world watches and waits, as a fight over contracts, control, and creativity rages on, with no end in sight.
