She Won $17.8M in Court — Then Offered to Give It All Back for NewJeans

Just when you thought the HYBE vs. Min Hee-jin saga couldn’t get more dramatic — she walks into a press conference and offers to hand back every single won she won in court. Not as a sign of weakness. As a statement. And K-pop Twitter hasn’t recovered since.

NewJeans Full Situation at a Glance

What Min Hee-jin Actually Said

At a press conference held in Seoul on February 25, Min stated she would give up the ₩25.6 billion won and in return asked HYBE to halt all ongoing civil and criminal lawsuits and disputes — including those against NewJeans members, outsourcing partners, and former ADOR employees.

Her reason? The girls. “It pains me that some must stand on stage while others stand in court,” she said. She also called for all five NewJeans members to be reunited — a pointed reference to Danielle’s ongoing legal battle with ADOR.

Min urged HYBE and its chairman Bang Si-hyuk to shift focus “from the courtroom to the stage of creation,” adding that ending the prolonged legal battle would “help prevent further harm to artists and the industry.”

How Did We Get Here?

The conflict erupted in April 2024 when HYBE launched an audit claiming Min attempted to seize control of ADOR by approaching external investors about spinning off the subsidiary. She was dismissed as ADOR CEO in August 2024. NewJeans then tried to terminate their contracts — but lost that lawsuit in October 2025.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled HYBE should not have unilaterally terminated its shareholder contract with Min, as she “did not seem to intend to bring harm or damages to ADOR.” The court also validated her plagiarism allegations against ILLIT, saying the similarities to NewJeans’ image were real and Min’s statements were legitimate creative opinion — not defamation.

HYBE has since appealed, and a massive ₩43 billion damages suit against Min and Danielle remains active.

Why Fans Are Calling This Her Greatest Move Yet

The internet response was instant and overwhelming. Fans called Min’s offer the act of someone choosing people over money — a rare move in an industry notorious for treating artists as assets. Netizens praised Min for her strong stance in doing everything in her power to protect the members.

Whether HYBE accepts remains to be seen. But Min’s message was clear: the creative stage matters more than the courtroom.

Follow all HYBE, NewJeans, and Min Hee-jin updates at TechnoSports, and catch our full K-pop legal saga timeline for everything that led here.

Learn more about HYBE on Wikipedia.

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