Over the last 24 hours, the fallout between ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and HYBE has taken center stage.
After Min Hee Jin was asked to step down from her position due to her allegedly trying to leave HYBE and take ADOR with her, more information has come out, including allegations that she was involved in attempting to damage the reputations of HYBE idols and leaking information.
Amid her negative comments about other groups, how Min Hee Jin’s business plans have all failed became very apparent, especially when compared to HYBE CEO Bang Si Hyuk.
SM Entertainment previously employed Min Hee Jin as a creative director, where she worked with groups like SHINee, EXO, and Red Velvet. She created some of the most acclaimed concepts for these groups, including EXO‘s Monster and Red Velvet‘s “Peek-A-Boo.”
However, in 2018, she left the label to have more control over the musical process as well. In an interview with Billboard, she explained this as a reason for wanting to create her own label.
You might not have expected it because I worked as a creative director at SM, but I long dreamed of making an album with the kind of music I want—a final product with the music I had in mind—that’s why I wanted to create my own label.
— Min Hee Jin
She also mentioned that she believed that joining HYBE would allow this to happen the fastest through being able to use the label’s resources.
And while she has seen success through NewJeans, her ultimate brainchild, her business plans have not come to fruition.
As the ongoing conflict between Min Hee Jin and HYBE has made widely known, the CEO only owns 20 percent of ADOR, meaning it is not hers. Through her plan of making success come faster, Min Hee Jin also made it so that she could not fully realize her dream.
In comparison, Bang Si Hyuk was originally a producer under JYP Entertainment, leaving the label completely in 2005 to form his label, Big Hit Entertainment. Big Hit initially struggled, nearly bankrupting around 2007, well before BTS‘s debut.
These financial issues continued through the years, with members of BTS even recollecting struggles like being asked to move out of the dorm because the company could not afford rent.
Yoongi: Do you remember when we were living at 9-8? The team wasn't disbanded but remember when we're all told to go home? Company ran out of money. Me, you & Namjoon said we can't move out. We didn't have money.@BTS_twt my loves you deserve all the good things
https://t.co/RGT7GOIku5 pic.twitter.com/wdtgDR9iHc
— cestlavie_90⁷
With the success of BTS, Big Hit grew into HYBE, with Bang Si Hyuk still holding majority ownership in the company.
At the same time, had Min Hee Jin set out on a similar path, it is possible she would not have found success without a big name behind her, meaning her personal business plans might have always been “doomed” to fail.
