Min Hee-jin, CEO of Ador, holds a press conference to announce her position at the Korea Conference Center in Seocho District, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Ador CEO Min Hee-jin strongly countered allegations by parent company HYBE of having engaged in "shamanistic management" practices during a press conference at the Korea Conference Center in Seoul, Thursday.

Prior to the press conference, HYBE released a statement suggesting that an audit had revealed Min was taking managerial advice from a female shaman on crucial company matters, including personnel and hiring decisions.

Particularly eye-catching were claims that Min consulted the shaman about matters as significant as the military enlistment of BTS members, with alleged suggestions like, "It would be better for me if BTS goes to the military. Send them."

The press conference was Min's attempt to clear the air and push back against what she implies are misconceived accusations from HYBE, setting the stage for a contentious dispute between the leadership of these interconnected entertainment powerhouses.

Ador CEO Min Hee-jin takes part in a press conference at the Korea Conference Center, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

During the press conference, Min offered a personal explanation for her questioned inquiry about BTS's military enlistment.

"It may sound strange, but I asked out of a 'motherly concern' for NewJeans, like they were my own children. I was tired of how HYBE was treating me, and I thought perhaps it would be better for us if HYBE's top act, BTS, were not active," she said, refuting claims that her decisions were influenced by shamanistic advice.

HYBE, the agency behind BTS, also owns Ador, which manages NewJeans. Min criticized HYBE for disclosing results of a forensic analysis of her messenger conversations, labeling it "personal surveillance."

She said that the individual was a personal acquaintance who happens to be a shaman. "Is it wrong to have a shaman as a friend? Are shamans untouchables?" she challenged.

Min clarified her visits to the shaman, asserting they were not for fortune-telling but rather as a form of emotional support.

"I never went there to have my fortune told. Actually, I have been seeing a psychiatrist because of the stress caused by HYBE, but that wasn't helping. I thought maybe just talking to someone would ease my discomfort—that's why I went," she said.

Min suggested that HYBE might be projecting their own practices onto her, accusing them of engaging in similar spiritual activities. "They probably accuse me because they themselves participate in rituals and fortune-telling," she said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.