Hybe Shares Surge Amid Leadership Shake-Up at ADOR

Shares of Hybe, listed on South Korea’s Kospi index, surged nearly 5% on Wednesday following the sudden departure of Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR, a sublabel under Hybe. Min’s resignation, announced after market hours on Tuesday, led to a market value increase of approximately $282.05 million for Hybe.

This development is the latest in an ongoing management conflict within Hybe, the powerhouse behind K-pop sensation BTS. ADOR, known for managing the popular girl group NewJeans, revealed that Min Hee-jin would no longer serve as CEO but would continue as an “internal director” and remain involved in producing content for NewJeans. Ju Young Kim, ADOR’s chief human resources officer, has been appointed as Min’s successor.

However, South Korean media reported that Min contested the decision, calling it “illegal” and “unilateral,” and claimed she was not consulted about staying on as a producer for NewJeans.

This leadership shake-up follows a series of disputes between Min and Hybe. In April, Hybe accused Min of attempting to make ADOR independent and filed a police report against her. In response, Min alleged that Hybe had replicated the NewJeans concept for another girl group under a different Hybe subsidiary.

The conflict escalated in May when Hybe convened an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to remove Min as CEO. Min sought an injunction to prevent this, which the Seoul Central District Court granted, temporarily blocking Hybe from using its voting rights at the EGM.

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