Min Hee Jin: The HYBE Art Director with a $500,000 Salary

Art Director Min Hee Jin, who gained fame through the success story of the girl group NewJeans, has found herself in the spotlight. On the 22nd, it was reported that HYBE, a key subsidiary and label (record planning company), has initiated an audit of ADOR’s management.

According to the entertainment industry, an audit has been launched against Min Hee Jin, the representative of ADOR, and Executive A. HYBE, who is gathering evidence following rumors suggesting that Min Hee Jin and others are considering separating from the head office. Additionally, they have retrieved company computer assets and are pursuing in-person statements.

ADOR, famous as the agency of the girl group NewJeans, is a label of HYBE with Min Hee Jin as the representative.

Min Hee Jin, a former SM Entertainment member, is a key figure who has grown NewJeans into a global IP (intellectual property) and is known as the golden hand in the industry.

After moving to HYBE, she was trusted by Chairman Bang Si Hyuk and is known to have led the branding of the HYBE headquarters in Yongsan.

As a result, interest in Min Hee Jin is growing daily. A post titled “Is this Min Hee Jin’s house?” on an online community became a hot topic.

The author asked if the photos captured by Min Hee Jin’s social media were indeed her home. Netizens who saw Min Hee Jin’s house confirmed it by saying, “Yes, the picture titled HOME and the ceiling are the same.”

The photos shared by the author showed an interior filled with tasteful accessories, unlike a typical home. The interior, infused with Min Hee Jin’s unique taste, resembled a sensitivity cafe.

Min Hee Jin, known for overseeing nearly every aspect of visual presentation for SM Entertainment’s renowned idol groups, including costumes, styling, and album covers, appears to have also delved into interior design.

Before moving to HYBE, Min Hee Jin spent 17 years at SM, leading the concepts of numerous idols such as Girls’ Generation, Red Velvet, SHINee, f(x), and EXO.

None of the groups that Min Hee Jin was in charge of failed, but rather, they all grew to dominate an era. Min Hee Jin, who joined as a regular employee through open recruitment, proved her skills by rising to the director position.

HYBE made countless efforts to recruit Min Hee Jin, and it is known that they gave her three tasks: HYBE’s rebranding, launching a girl group, and establishing her label.

Currently, Representative Min Hee Jin possesses 573,160 shares of ADOR. It was understood that HYBE owned 100% of ADOR’s shares, but it has since been revealed that they reduced their stake to 80%.

It is speculated that Representative Min Hee Jin exercised a call option, granting her the right to purchase stocks at a predetermined price, and acquired 18% of ADOR’s shares for approximately $920,000.

ADOR, in which Min Hee Jin holds shares, reported sales of $92 million, an operating profit of $28 million, and a net profit of $22 million last year, showcasing significant growth.

In January, Hani, a member of NewJeans, made headlines by revealing a luxury gift she received from Min Hee Jin. She appeared on the W KOREA channel and revealed that she received a vibrant red Gucci bag, known to be priced close to $3,400, as a gift from Min Hee Jin.

It was also shocking to learn that NewJeans each have their own room in their dormitory. This is very unusual for a rookie girl group that hasn’t debuted for long.

Meanwhile, on the 22nd, when the news of the audit of ADOR, including Representative Min Hee Jin, was reported, it was known that HYBE’s stock price plummeted.

As of 5 p.m. on this day, HYBE’s stock price is $178, down 7.81% from the previous day. HYBE said it would take legal action after analyzing computer assets and other data obtained through the audit.