HYBE to immediately appeal decision to clear Min Hee-jin of breach of trust charges

HYBE is set to immediately appeal the police decision to dismiss the accusations regarding Min Hee-jin’s breach of trust, the K-pop powerhouse said on July 15 following a police decision not to hand Min’s case over to prosecution.

Earlier on July 15, police announced that it found no illegalities in the breach of trust complaint filed by HYBE against Min in April last year. The BTS agency claimed that Min was trying to seize control over ADOR, the agency of girl group NewJeans, by getting a third-party investor involved while she was serving as the CEO.

“There have been new developments made in the case after police investigations, such as the NewJeans’ members arguing that their contracts are invalid,” HYBE said in a press release on July 15.

“We have handed in numerous pieces of new evidence to court in related suits. The court has made firm decisions against Min based on such evidence and the Seoul High Court even deemed that Min is ‘intentionally sabotaging the very basis of an exclusive contract.'”

“We therefore announce that we will fight this decision in an appeals process,” HYBE said.

The company added that police have also closed the cases on five HYBE executives in regard to a complaint filed by Min in July last year for defamation and disruption of business. Min filed the police reports claiming that the company leaked personal online conversations to the press in an attempt to defame her amid the legal battle.

“The investigators stated, ‘It is hard to deem HYBE’s accusations as false,’ ‘It was for the good of the public and therefore not for defamation’ and ‘The KakaoTalk chats were acquired through legal means,'” HYBE added.

The conflict between Min and HYBE began when HYBE conducted an internal audit on Min and other ADOR executives in April last year after suspecting that the managers had tried to seize control of ADOR.

HYBE reported Min and others to the police for breach of trust and Min immediately fought back, refuting HYBE’s claims in a two-hour-long press conference the same month.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]