Min Hee-jin is moving forward with plans to debut a boy group through her new label, marking her first major project since leaving HYBE-owned label ADOR amid a contentious management dispute.
The executive confirmed the move during a Thursday appearance on YouTube channel JTBCSHOW, according to Korea Times. There, she said she has no immediate plans to produce another girl group.
“I don’t think I’ll be making a girl group next. Maybe someday, but not right now. If I do anything soon, it will be a boy group,” she was quoted by the newswire as saying. “If a boy group comes first, then maybe a girl group will follow.”
Min, who founded ADOR, was credited as the creative force behind the girl group NewJeans. She had been embroiled in a public feud with HYBE over control of the subsidiary. After her dismissal, ADOR offered her a producer role on a contract basis, which she rejected before she resigned as an internal director.
Min is currently in a legal battle against HYBE after the former executive sued the company, claiming it must honor her put option, or the right to sell her shares back to HYBE, which is valued at about 26 billion won ($17.7 million), according to reports. The Seoul Central District Court will close arguments December 18, with a ruling expected early next year.
“I don’t think I’ll be making a girl group next. Maybe someday, but not right now. If I do anything soon, it will be a boy group.”
Min Hee-Jin, OOak Co.
In October, Korean entertainment outlet SpoTV News reported that Min has set up a new entertainment company called ooak Co. It was officially registered on October 16 with business operations spanning artist management, music production and distribution, performance planning, and brand management.
SpoTV News speculated that Min may be positioning ooak as a potential new home for NewJeans if the court rules in the members’ favor. However, last month, all five members of K-pop group NewJeans have decided to resume activities with their label ADOR following a court ruling that the group remains bound to their exclusive agreement with ADOR.
Min’s announcement of a new boy band came as ooak drew an unexpectedly high volume of audition submissions this week, Korea Times reported. A private audition organized through a Seoul dance academy closed early after applications exceeded the organizers’ operational capacity, the report said.
The academy said, as quoted by the newswire: “Applications for the private audition exceeded expectations, far surpassing our operational capacity for the day. To ensure a smooth evaluation, we had no choice but to close submissions early.”
“I want to propose a new management model. I want shorter contract terms. There are still too many loopholes in the standard contract.”
Min Hee-Jin, OOak Co.
Min downplayed the significance of the audition response, saying: “The academy simply included us in its regular audition lineup.”
During the JTBCSHOW livestream, Min challenged standard practices in South Korea’s entertainment industry, criticizing the years-long contracts common among K-pop acts, saying: “I want to propose a new management model. I want shorter contract terms. There are still too many loopholes in the standard contract. Sometimes I wonder if this absurd fight I am in now is actually part of a paradigm shift… I want to take on that kind of new challenge.”
“I want to create a company where idols and the company need each other,” Min was quoted by Chosun as saying in a YouTube livestream. “I see gaps in this market, so I want to prepare in my own way and show proper results.”
Min also hinted that his agency is receiving investment interest from Korea and overseas. “Like a blessing in disguise, there have been many contacts from home and abroad regarding the establishment of the corporation. I’m grateful for the situation.”
Min’s strategy comes as boybands are tipped to make a comeback after Republic Records and producer Freddy Wexler this week signed JYT, a five-member group they say will reintroduce dance-driven pop to a global audience, potentially testing whether American labels are ready to invest in the format again.
HYBE, the agency behind BTS, has recently seen success in a new boy group called Santos Bravos . Speaking on HYBE’s Q2 earnings call in August, the company’s CEO Jason Jaesang Lee said: “About 20, 30 years ago, we had Backstreet Boys, Westlife, NSYNC and other groups. However, because of the financial crisis, there was reluctance in [markets including the US] for massive investments to make and develop [pop groups].
“Financial and strategic investors were hesitant to make large investments because of the low possibility for returns…. so such a model almost disappeared in these markets. But now we’re going to reapply this type of methodology in these major music markets.”
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