Hive "Min Heejin, Operating Adore and Launching NewJeans as a Shaman Management Coach"

Urgent Press Release Ahead of CEO Min Hee-jin's Conference
Received Management Coaching from Shamans on Personnel and Hiring
"BTS Should Join Military for Advantage"... Also Requested Shamanic Rituals

HYBE revealed on the 25th that Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, has been receiving coaching on major company management matters such as personnel and recruitment from a female shaman and implementing them accordingly. HYBE explained that this shaman claimed to be possessed by the spirit of a close relative of CEO Min and coached her on overall management through KakaoTalk.

Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR. [Photo by ADOR]

On the 25th, HYBE secured a lengthy conversation log between CEO Min Hee-jin, who is to be reported for breach of duty, and the shaman who claimed possession by a close relative, through forensic investigation.

According to the conversation log, the shaman named ‘Jiyeong-nim 0814,’ who is older than CEO Min, said that the spirit of a younger sibling relative had possessed her and addressed CEO Min as “unnie” (older sister), continuing the conversation.

In a 2021 conversation, the shaman advised CEO Min to “bring the company back within three years.” The shaman said, “I will help you for exactly three years,” and added, “Within exactly three years, (the new label that CEO Min will establish) will be acquired as if through a corporate merger; everything will be accomplished within three years.”

CEO Min sought the shaman’s review on plans such as establishing a joint venture, stock options, and the establishment of a new label. The timing when CEO Min began actively moving to seize management rights coincides with the period when the shaman was coaching her. CEO Min also discussed the timing of selling her HYBE shares with the shaman.

They also exchanged opinions about the military service issues of BTS members. When CEO Min asked, “Will BTS go to the military or not?” the shaman replied, “They will.” Then CEO Min said to the shaman, “I think it would be better for me if BTS goes to the military, send them lol.” When CEO Min asked, “What do you think?” the shaman hinted at a shamanistic act by saying, “I’m going to send them. They didn’t even win a gold medal.” In response, CEO Min again requested, “It would be advantageous for me if they are not around.”

The shaman was deeply involved in CEO Min’s routine management activities and was found to have committed personnel-related misconduct. The misconduct confirmed by HYBE includes personnel favors, leakage of personnel transfer information, and leakage of personal information of job applicants.

The shaman forwarded the job application of a certain Mr. Park, born in the 1990s, who was one of the clients, to CEO Min’s personal email, and CEO Min proceeded with the recruitment process for Mr. Park through Vice President Mr. Shin. During this process, CEO Min sensed potential issues and pointed out, “You have some sense, but why write that you were introduced by M Business (the shaman’s business name)? You should just send the email casually. How foolish to send an email saying you were contacted through an introduction...” Nevertheless, as the recruitment process proceeded normally, CEO Min consulted with the shaman about which position to assign Mr. Park among management and new girl group managers.

Evaluations of applicants undergoing the interview process were also conducted together with the shaman. Most applicants who received positive evaluations from the shaman passed the recruitment process, and some are currently confirmed to be working at ADOR. Additionally, during the review process for the transfer of some HYBE employees working in other departments, personal information of the candidates was shared with the shaman, and evaluations were conducted together.

There is also evidence that CEO Min conducted shamanistic activities targeting HYBE executives along with the shaman. When the shaman said she would send rice cakes “shaped like a hairstyle” to CEO Min’s residence, CEO Min asked, “If I eat this, will the kids open up a bit? What kind of help will it provide?” The shaman replied, “You will become much more alert.”

Derogatory remarks about executives also appeared. Regarding HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, CEO Min said, “He has no fundamentals and purely imitates and copies,” to which the shaman advised, “Even if you copy, make money, so learn.” When the shaman asked, “Isn’t Bang guy not the CEO but he planned and brought it this far?” CEO Min replied, “Actually, he copied mine and came this far lol.” Since this conversation took place in 2021, it implies a claim that BTS, who were on the most successful path at the time, was a team created by imitating her.

The company name ADOR was also reviewed by the shaman. Initially, CEO Min was considering two names, Alljoy and ADOR, and asked the shaman several times. When the shaman said ADOR was better, she immediately adopted it.

CEO Min also frequently made derogatory remarks about the trainees they were nurturing to the shaman. Regarding one trainee, CEO Min asked, “Those fools will probably listen well to me, right? There won’t be any who are submissive, right?” The shaman answered, “No.”

According to the conversation log, CEO Min has known the shaman ‘Jiyeong-nim 0814’ from the M shaman business located in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, since before 2017. Since then, she has received management coaching through SNS conversations. The conversation partner frequently switches between the shaman and the spirit of a relative to coach CEO Min.

It was confirmed that the M shaman business launched a corporation named M Partners in August 2021. The shaman is registered as an inside director of this corporation. The CEO of this company, Mr. Lee, also operates a service company named M Consulting with the same name. It was confirmed that M Consulting once billed ADOR for cleaning services related to CEO Min’s personal studio.

HYBE previously requested confirmation of these facts in an audit inquiry sent to CEO Min’s side on the 22nd, but CEO Min denied all of them in a response sent on the 24th. HYBE verified the facts through a lengthy conversation log obtained during the information asset audit process based on a tip-off.

A HYBE official said, “Despite the continuous discovery of serious issues, including criminal acts that cannot be disclosed, to the extent that CEO Min can no longer be entrusted with management activities, she has not responded at all to demands for dismissal, causing serious setbacks in the normalization of ADOR’s management.”

CEO Min is scheduled to hold an emergency press conference at 3 p.m. on the same day to express her position on the controversy over the allegations of management rights seizure.