Former ADOR CEO Min Heejin has refuted allegations regarding her collaboration with the design and music production company BANA in the '26 billion won put option' lawsuit. When HYBE raised suspicions that Min may have given preferential treatment to her ex-boyfriend, Min countered that the compensation was legitimate.
On December 18, the 31st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court held a hearing for two lawsuits: one filed by HYBE seeking confirmation of the termination of the shareholders’ agreement with Min Heejin, and another filed by Min Heejin against HYBE over the payment for exercising her put option.
HYBE pointed out that BANA has provided exclusive A&R services since the establishment of ADOR. The company explained that, as of 2022, the service fees BANA received were twice the total settlement paid to all NewJeans members, and questioned why the contract was structured in a way that favored BANA. The BANA CEO reportedly received about 1 billion won per year as an incentive.
Min responded, "The CEO of BANA is a highly capable individual," and explained, "He produced all of NewJeans' songs." She added, "The compensation provided was not excessive compared to industry standards," and argued, "I believe it is fair to reward someone so they can perform even better in the future."
It has been reported that Min Heejin and the BANA CEO had a prior connection, as rumors of a contract between NewJeans, who attempted independent activities as NJZ, and BANA surfaced. However, Min emphasized that there were no personal interactions during work.
The court plans to hold one more hearing on January 15 next year, before delivering its verdict on February 12.
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