Wednesday, February 25, Min held a press conference in Seoul’s Jongno district, where she told reporters she had “decided to trade the 25.6 billion won from the lawsuit victory for a greater value.
HYBE received a court order from the Seoul Central District’s court to pay Min’s put option tied to her former stake in ADOR.
“I propose that in exchange for my waiving the 25.6 billion won, all ongoing civil and criminal lawsuits be immediately halted and all disputes resolved,” Min said during her press conference”
Min sought for HYBE to drop all lawsuits against Min, NewJEans members, external partner companies, former ADOR employees, but most importantly Daniella.
HYBE is not backing down. On February 19, the company filed an appeal and moved to pause enforcement of the ruling, effectively trying to delay payment until the decision is finalized. In cases like this, courts often allow a stay if the appealing party posts a deposit while the matter works its way through the system.
The conflict itself stretches back to April 2024, when HYBE launched an audit alleging that Min had explored conversations with outside investors about separating ADOR from the parent company. By July, HYBE terminated the shareholder agreement and took the position that it no longer had an obligation to repurchase Min’s shares under the put option clause. Min has consistently pushed back, arguing that HYBE’s interpretation does not hold up.
What started as a corporate governance fight quickly spilled into the artist ecosystem. In late 2024, ADOR’s marquee act NewJeans announced they were leaving HYBE. Months of legal proceedings followed, and in June the group’s appeal was denied, meaning they cannot pursue independent activities without ADOR’s approval.
Min addressed the broader impact of the dispute, saying, “Only when all these lawsuits are concluded can we prevent further baseless noise affecting the artists, their families, and the fandom.”
