SEOUL, Oct 25 — Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of Ador and the creative force behind K-pop sensation NewJeans, has officially returned to the entertainment industry with the launch of a new company, Ooak (One Of A Kind). The move comes a year after her dismissal from Ador.
According to media reports, Min completed the corporate registration for Ooak on October 16.
The company’s business scope includes artist management, album production and distribution, and event planning, signaling Min’s intention to resume full-scale creative and production activities.
Ooak’s registered office is located near Garosu-gil in Seoul’s Gangnam-gu, where a new building is reportedly under construction.
Min’s comeback unfolds against a backdrop of unresolved legal disputes.
She is currently engaged in litigation with Hybe, Ador’s parent company, over the termination of their shareholder agreement and put option rights.
Additionally, Min faces a workplace harassment case brought by a former Ador employee.
Meanwhile, the members of NewJeans are embroiled in their own legal battle regarding the validity of their exclusive contracts with Ador.
After NewJeans notified Ador of their unilateral contract termination in November, Ador’s response was a lawsuit to confirm the contracts’ validity and sought an injunction to maintain its producer status and prevent the members from signing new advertising or entertainment deals.
The court granted Ador’s injunction request, a decision that has been upheld in subsequent appeals, effectively barring NewJeans members from pursuing independent activities pending the final ruling.
Scheduled on October 30, that date will determine if NewJeans will be free to continue their activity free of Hybe or are still bound to their contracts.
