If you don’t know what is happening in the K-pop world right now, one of the most popular girl groups NewJeans, and biggest companies is facing legal action. NewJeans, a five-member girl group with popular songs like OMG and Super Shy, has been in the middle of their two companies ADOR and HYBE’s legal fight against each other. With NewJeans’ new comeback How Sweet coming out soon there is word that it might be their last, so let’s dive deep into how this fight all started.
NewJeans was created by the company ADOR which is owned and produced under HYBE Entertainment. With the legal ownership of NewJeans, HYBE owns 82 percent of the group while ADOR only owns around 18 percent. The percentage of ownership affects NewJeans’ Contract with the two companies’ percentage in winning the group in court.
The creation of ADOR and Min Hee-jin’s background with HYBE
In July 2019, Min Hee-jin was hired to work under Big Hit Entertainment, soon rebranded into HYBE Entertainment. Min Heejin was first given the role of CBO (Chief Brand Officer). Her job was to oversee the Big Hit brand until it became a sub-company under HYBE which then started her own company under HYBE Entertainment. Then, the company ADOR was founded by Min Hee-jin on November 12, 2021.
HYBE’s power in the K-pop industry and comparison between ILLIT and NewJeans
HYBE first started as Big Hit Entertainment in 2005, which was the creators of the boy group BTS in 2013. With the revenue and popularity of BTS, Big Hit Entertainment was able to expand and become HYBE which helped them develop and create new side companies and K-pop Groups. Currently, HYBE owns some of the biggest K-pop groups like Enhypen, TXT, Seventeen, and LE SSERAFIM. With all these new popular groups, This means more and more revenue and money going toward HYBE. One of HYBE’s newest groups is the girl group named ILLIT and fans are comparing them a lot to NewJeans, even Min Hee-jin mentions that HYBE only made ILLIT to copy NewJeans saying
NOTE: Some of the comparisons mentioned are solely my opinion and some of the examples I bring up could just be a coincidence.
The group ILLIT was made by the survival show R U NEXT which consists of five members Iroha, Wonhee, Minju, Moka, and Yunah. The group debuted on March 25 2025 with their EP SUPER REAL ME. Their main song Magnetic is currently trending throughout social media, you might have even heard the lyrics like “You, you, you, you, like it’s magnetic” or even tried to dance with your hands. Although this group has gotten love from listeners, Min Hee-jin firstly accuses HYBE of making ILLIT “copy” NewJeans because of their success
In my opinion, ILLIT and NewJeans do have a lot of similarities. Some being the ages and number of members in the group, and other similarities being their bubbly concepts and stylistic choices. Listening to Magnetic and Super Shy’s instrumentals, they have that same glittery and upbeat song style. To add on, the makeup choices and the hair styling are very alike, for example, Iroha from ILLIT’s debut hairstyle is super similar to NewJeans’ Hyein’s hairstyle from NewJeans’ debut. Overall they are very similar concepts, but their debut process was very different since ILLIT was created as a survival show and NewJeans trained under the company before debuting.
Min Hee-jin’s private conference and HYBE wanting her to resign
In the private conference with Min Hee-jin and her lawyers, Min Hee-jin is on an emotional rollercoaster. At the beginning of the conference, she says to the press “The frame you have, I have already become a witch. Now, peeling off this frame is my first task.” Telling the press she has been framed by HYBE to be this horrible person. She also asks for the audience’s understanding because her angle is seen very differently from what HYBE sees.
Later in the conference Min Hee-jin says she is so upset that people are saying she doesn’t want to let NewJeans go due to their fame and revenue where she says “If I wanted money, I won’t even come out here either.” She then goes on to mention her relationship with NewJeans and starts crying while bringing up a shy member, Haerin’s video call with her. Min Hee-jin said that the members made the effort to call her because she wanted to hear her voice. Min Hee-jin is now balling her eye out and brings up how NewJeans cried because of her situation. Lastly, Min Hee-jin brings up the hostile relationship between her and HYBE showing text conversations with HYBE’s CEO Park Jiwon with most of their conversations being about BTS and their Military situation.
With all this drama going on this could affect NewJeans’ career and future reputation depending on which side they choose. Whether they pick Min Hee-jin’s side, could affect their popularity since they are the only group under ADOR, and people mainly know NewJeans for being under HYBE company. With NewJean’s new comeback coming up, will it be their last?
