On November 27, 2025, the legal battle between former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and the entertainment giant HYBE continued with the third hearing at the Seoul Central District Court’s 31st Civil Division.
The hearing focused on the lawsuit concerning the termination of the shareholders’ agreement and Min Hee Jin’s claim to exercise her put option against HYBE.
In a dramatic turn, Min Hee Jin personally appeared in court to provide her testimony as a party to the case, where she became visibly emotional, shedding tears while recounting the circumstances of her recruitment by HYBE’s Chairman, Bang Si Hyuk.
Her testimony shed light on the initial, highly personal nature of their professional relationship, contrasting sharply with their current legal dispute.
The Recruitment: Desperate for “SM Personified”
Min Hee Jin detailed the speed and fervor of Bang Si Hyuk’s recruitment efforts immediately following her resignation from SM Entertainment, where she had served as Creative Director for years.
Min Hee Jin officially resigned from SM on December 31, 2018. She testified that Bang Si Hyuk reached out to her just two days later, on January 2, 2019.
When she questioned how he knew of her departure so quickly, Bang Si Hyuk allegedly responded by admitting that he had “informants” within SM who had relayed the news of her resignation.
He stated that he had viewed her as the “SM personified” and had never expected her to leave, expressing his immense relief and excitement when he heard the news.
He immediately and aggressively began courting her, emphasizing his urgent desire to “recruit [her] as talent” for his company, which was then known as Big Hit Music, the predecessor of HYBE.
Bang Si Hyuk’s Vision and Lack of Confidence in Girl Groups
Min Hee Jin’s testimony also revealed the specific business challenges that drove Bang Si Hyuk to seek her out.
He openly shared his corporate vision, which was rooted in a profound “distrust of the existing entertainment industry” and an explicit “criticism of SM Entertainment,” expressing a desire to reform the business model.
Crucially, Bang Si Hyuk conveyed his lack of confidence in successfully launching a girl group.
He referenced his previous, unsuccessful attempt with the group GLAM, which he had co-managed with So Sung Jin of Source Music.
Because of this past failure, he told Min Hee Jin that he “had no confidence in girl groups” and consequently understood that he “needed [her]” expert creative and strategic direction.
At the time, Min Hee Jin confirmed she was also entertaining a competing offer from Kakao Entertainment, positioning her as a highly sought-after industry veteran.
The Plea and Min Hee Jin’s Motivation
To emphasize the lengths to which Bang Si Hyuk went to secure her, Min Hee Jin recounted an extraordinary moment during a meal with the Chairman.
By chance, her parents called her, and Bang Si Hyuk reportedly seized the opportunity to communicate his sincerity directly to her father.
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Min Hee Jin testified that he told her father,
“I will make sure your daughter can do what she wants and do it well,” and repeatedly emphasized, “I really want her to come to our company.”
She described the situation as one where he was “practically getting down on his knees to ask” her to join.
Bang Si Hyuk also claimed to have been a “long-time fan” of her creative work and genuinely wanted to collaborate.
Moved by this level of commitment and perceived sincerity, and believing that a company run by someone who “believed in me and allowed me to do what I wanted” would be the right fit, Min Hee Jin ultimately chose to join HYBE, swayed by Bang Si Hyuk’s promise of “unlimited support.”
Min Hee Jin’s testimony concludes by mentioning the heartache her parents felt after the current dispute with HYBE began, underscoring the deep personal investment made in her career move.
