Condolence wreaths sent by fans of NewJeans are placed in front of HYBE's headquarters in Seoul's Yongsan District, Wednesday, the deadline set by the group for the reinstatement of former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin. Yonhap
Ador, the agency representing K-pop sensation NewJeans, has decided to extend its former CEO Min Hee-jin's role as board director while rejecting her reinstatement as the chief executive, despite a public appeal from the five NewJeans members.
In an official statement, Wednesday, Ador revealed that its board of directors had "resolved to convene an extraordinary shareholders' meeting to reappoint Min as an internal director," with the meeting scheduled for Oct. 17.
The agency also confirmed it had already proposed to Min on Sept. 11 that she oversee the producing of NewJeans for the next five years — the duration of the group's remaining contract period with the label.
However, Ador made clear that Min's return to the position of CEO was "currently deemed unacceptable" following internal discussions.
Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Ador, answers reporters' questions as she leaves Yongsan Police Station in Seoul, July 9, after her first summons for questioning regarding allegations of breach of duty. Yonhap
Min has been embroiled in a conflict with HYBE since April, when HYBE accused Min and her management team of trying to spin off the company.
Wednesday's announcement follows a surprising public plea from the five members of NewJeans. In a live broadcast on a newly created YouTube channel, Sept. 11, the members urged HYBE Labels, Ador's parent company, to make a "wise decision to restore Ador to its original form where Min held both CEO and producer roles" by Wednesday.
Following the broadcast, Min filed an injunction with the court on Sept. 13, requesting the convening of an extraordinary shareholders meeting to reappoint her as Ador's board director, as her current three-year term is set to expire Nov. 2.
With Wednesday's decision, Ador has agreed to Min's request for the shareholders meeting but declined NewJeans' call for her return as CEO. The label added that it had shared the outcome to the group's members via email.
Immediately following ADOR's announcement, Min released a statement expressing her dissatisfaction with what she described as a "compromise" by the agency. She criticized the agency's proposal as merely "wordplay" and renewed her demand for reinstatement as CEO.
"The extension of my board term proposed by Ador is actually up to HYBE Labels and it's unclear if the reappointment will indeed happen," Min wrote in the statement. She also rejected Ador's offer for her to remain producer for NewJeans, claiming the offer retains "the same poisonous clauses" as before.
The statement clarified, "Min is concerned that extending her term under a deceptive contract might prevent her from continuing her work with NewJeans. Therefore, she has clearly expressed her intention to return as CEO and has requested a genuine and specific contract from HYBE."