SEOUL, June 12 (AJP) - Prosecutors have dropped all complaints filed by former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin against HYBE executives, declining to indict any of the accused on charges including business interference and defamation, according to legal sources Wednesday.
The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office dismissed complaints against six HYBE executives, including former HYBE CEO Park Ji-won, and four executives from Belift Lab, a HYBE subsidiary.
Min, who previously served as chief producer of K-pop girl group NewJeans, had accused HYBE officials of damaging both ADOR's business and her personal reputation through allegedly false public statements during a high-profile dispute between the two sides in 2024. ADOR is the HYBE label behind NewJeans.
The conflict escalated in April 2024, when HYBE issued a statement claiming that Min had consulted a shaman, a traditional Korean spiritual advisor, over ADOR management matters, and that ADOR executives had explored ways to terminate NewJeans' contracts.
Min later filed complaints, arguing the claims were false and amounted to business interference and defamation.
Prosecutors concluded the statement was not false, citing evidence that Min had discussed ADOR management issues with a shaman.
The office also cleared Belift Lab executives over a separate complaint tied to a YouTube video. The video denied allegations that ILLIT, a K-pop girl group under Belift Lab, had copied NewJeans' choreography and styling.
Min claimed the video contained false information and defamed her, but prosecutors found no criminal charges were warranted.
Prosecutors also dismissed Min's complaint that HYBE had illegally accessed ADOR emails and KakaoTalk messages, South Korea's dominant messaging platform. They determined HYBE had reviewed the communications under its lawful audit authority.
The decision closes another chapter in one of K-pop's most public corporate disputes, though separate civil proceedings between Min and HYBE remain ongoing.
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