Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has drawn attention after sharing a highly symbolic photo online, coinciding with the announcement of NewJeans members returning to the label.
On November 24, Min Hee-jin uploaded a single image without any caption. The photo featured the cover of The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, a novel by Nobel Prize–winning author Heinrich Böll . The book’s subtitle, “How Violence Develops and Where It Can Lead,” directly highlights the work’s central theme.
The novel tells the story of a 27-year-old woman, Katharina Blum, whose dignity and reputation are destroyed by media distortion and public aggression. Through the events following her killing of a tabloid journalist, the book emphasizes that it was not the act of murder itself that ruined her life, but rather the violence of sensationalized reporting.
By posting the book cover, Min Hee-jin is widely interpreted as delivering a pointed message regarding “lost honor,” reflecting her own disputes and public scrutiny over the past year.
Back in November 2024, following Min Hee-jin’s resignation from ADOR, NewJeans held an emergency press conference announcing their intent to terminate their exclusive contracts and operate independently as of November 29 at midnight. This escalated tensions between the group and the agency. ADOR responded by filing a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the contracts.
Earlier this month, Min Hee-jin stated, “I respect and support their choice,” expressing her hope that the five members would “grow stronger, become an even better NewJeans, and above all be happy.”
Her latest post, however, has prompted renewed discussion about her personal reflections following the turbulent dispute and the group’s reconciliation with the label.
Sources: Daum