ADOR’s Min Hee-jin refutes claims she stole NewJeans from Source Music

Ador CEO Min Hee-jin responds to reporters’ questions as she leaves Yongsan Police Station in Seoul on July 9 after being questioned on a breach of trust allegation. Image: Yonhap via The Korea Herald

K-pop label ADOR’s CEO Min Hee-jin denied allegations that she “stole” some of the bandmates who would form NewJeans from Source Music.

On Tuesday, local entertainment media outlet Dispatch reported that Min took Minji, Hanni, Danielle, and Haerin of NewJeans from Source Music, where they were being trained to become K-pop artists.

According to the report, these four of the five-member group were part of a project group being called “N team” training under Source Music.

Dispatch unveiled a dance practice clip of the team from March 2021 that included seven Source Music trainees. They are seen rehearsing to NewJeans’ debut single “Attention.”

The report claims that Min, then the chief business officer at Source Music in charge of branding the N team, delayed the debut of the trainees as she sought to expand her role and responsibilities for their debut.

It also claims that Min was busy in the spring of 2021 allegedly getting advice from a shaman on establishing her label and planning to “steal a girl group” from Source Music.

Min told local reporters on Tuesday that such allegations are false and that she plans to take legal action.

She added that she is working on an official statement refuting the allegations.