Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has once again spoken about her escalating dispute with HYBE, this time addressing public misunderstandings surrounding her compensation, contract terms, and put-option payout. Her comments were made during her appearance on the December 4 episode of the YouTube program “Genre Only.”
During the interview, host Jeong Young-jin pointed out the increasing public interest in the shareholder agreement controversy.
Min Hee-jin responded that much of the online speculation has been inaccurate. “People don’t actually understand the shareholder agreement. Some major YouTubers claimed I made huge money from HYBE. That is absolutely untrue.”
She added that some even attempted to approach her with business proposals under the false assumption that she had already earned large payouts. “In reality, I only received my regular salary and incentives. I never received the put-option payout.”
Jeong Young-jin referenced reports claiming she was promised 13 times ADOR’s previous-year operating profit as a severance-like compensation if she left ADOR.
Min Hee-jin confirmed that the offer was real. “It was originally going to be structured as stock options, but it changed to a put option when the relationship shifted into a shareholder structure.”
As ADOR’s largest shareholder among the three shareholders, her expected payout is substantial. “My amount is approximately 25.56 billion KRW, so around 25.6 billion won.”
She emphasized that this figure was tied strictly to performance.
Min Hee-jin argued that the shareholder relationship should be evaluated on business performance, not emotion. “Shareholder trust should come from business results. Among all HYBE subsidiaries, I was the CEO who brought in the most revenue and I accomplished that within two years.”
She strongly criticized HYBE’s implication that trust was broken: “I did nothing to harm the shareholder relationship. I actually excelled. If you look at the numbers, I should be recognized for my work not portrayed negatively.”
Min Hee-jin expressed deep frustration over online narratives framing her as someone who had already collected massive payouts from HYBE. “I didn’t receive the put-option payout. I didn’t make a fortune. I earned only what was contractually mine.”
As the dispute continues, Min Hee-jin’s statements are gaining widespread attention, reigniting discussions surrounding the future of ADOR, NewJeans, and the complex legal battle between Min Hee-jin and HYBE.
Sources: 네이트 뉴스