HYBE in 25.5 billion KRW put option lawsuit: Min Hee-Jin to address press after court victory

Min Hee-Jin, a big name in K-pop, is stepping into the spotlight again, and this time, it’s not for her creative work but to talk directly to reporters after a huge legal win against entertainment powerhouse HYBE.

As per All Kpop, she’s holding a press conference on February 25 in Seoul, just days after a local court sided with her in a headline-making lawsuit over a 25.5 billion KRW (about 17.7 million USD) put option. That’s legal speak for rights tied to her former stake in ADOR. She plans to talk about what the ruling means and what’s next for her new company, OOAK Records.

What happened in the HYBE lawsuit?

Per AJU Press, this all started when Min decided to use a put option on her shares in ADOR, the label she used to run and where she famously helped launch NewJeans.

A put option basically lets a shareholder force the company to buy back their shares at a set price. HYBE pushed back, saying that the shareholder agreement that allowed this move was already off the table, making the put option void. Min disagreed, arguing HYBE’s termination notice wasn’t justified.

She took them to court to stand up for her rights.On February 12, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court took Min’s side.

They said her put option was valid and ordered HYBE to pay her 25.5 billion KRW for the shares. HYBE also tried to get the court to confirm that they’d properly ended the shareholder agreement, saying Min had broken the rules by trying to “extract NewJeans” and make ADOR independent. The court shot that down, too. According to All Kpop, the judges said Min did look into making ADOR independent, but that alone wasn’t enough to count as a serious contract breach.

HYBE didn’t give up; they’ve already filed an appeal and secured a stay, so that big payout is on hold for now while the legal fight continues.

Why is Min Hee-Jin holding a press conference?

After leaving ADOR, Min started OOAK Records. Now, she’s finally ready to speak out. On February 25, she’ll meet the press at 1:45 p.m. to talk about the court’s decision and where she’s heading next. This is her first real public statement since the ruling. She’s set to explain how she sees her legal victory and lay out her plans for OOAK Records, both on the business and creative sides.

The K-pop world is watching closely, as people expect her to drop hints about future projects, new artist debuts, or maybe a whole new direction for her label.

Who is Min Hee-Jin?

For the unversed, Min Hee-Jin, born December 16, 1979, is a powerhouse in K-pop’s creative scene. She started out at SM Entertainment in 2002, rising through the ranks as a creative director and shaping the look and feel of groups like Girls’ Generation, Shinee, f(x), EXO, and Red Velvet.

Her bold, original style changed what people expected from K-pop visuals and storytelling.In late 2021, Min became CEO of ADOR, a HYBE subsidiary, and took on the executive producer role for NewJeans, a girl group that’s been making headlines since their 2022 debut. Under her guidance, they stood out for their fresh sound and striking visuals, earning praise at home and overseas.Min left ADOR in 2024 after butting heads with HYBE over creative control and management.

She stayed on the board for a while but eventually quit and went solo, launching OOAK Records to chase her own artistic and business dreams.Her legal battles with HYBE haven’t just been about one issue; they’ve covered everything from shareholder agreements to alleged contract breaches and how the companies were run. While this week’s press conference is all about the put option win, the whole messy saga points to bigger fights over who really gets to steer the ship in K-pop’s upper ranks.