“Is she gonna pull NJZ into her company?” - Fans react as Min Hee-jin reportedly establishes her agency ‘OOAK’ ahead of NewJeans’ final verdict

The Korea Herald reported on October 24, 2025, that Min Hee-jin, former ADOR CEO, has established her own entertainment agency called OOAK (pronounced “oh-kay”). The agency will handle entertainer management, music and album production, and performance and event production.

The company was reportedly registered on October 16 and is based near Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, where a building is under final construction. Operations are expected to begin once temporary approval is cleared.

This marks her return to the industry about a year after leaving ADOR in November 2024, following conflicts with HYBE’s executives over NewJeans. With the first court decision on ADOR’s exclusive deals with NJZ members expected by month-end, fans believe she might be setting up to sign the group if the verdict favors her way.

"Is she gonna pull njz into her company?," an X user commented.

Many viewers think this might be connected to NewJeans’ return.

Meanwhile, some are hoping for a favorable verdict so that NewJeans can make their return.

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Insiders predict NewJeans could move to Min Hee-jin’s OOAK

NewJeans and Min Hee-jin (Image via Instagram/@newjeans_official, @min.hee.jin)

The key moment is on October 30, when the court will issue its first-trial ruling on whether the five NewJeans members can terminate their exclusive contracts with ADOR. According to industry insiders (via News Top Korea), if the court sides with the group, they could join Min at OOAK and resume activities freely.

If ADOR wins, their contracts remain binding until July 2029, blocking any immediate move. ADOR has also filed for damages for the group’s halted activities. NewJeans has been largely inactive since November 2024, when they notified ADOR of their intent to leave the agency and continue under the name NJZ.

A court injunction stalled their plans, with a May ruling stating each member would owe 1 billion KRW per instance if they acted independently. HYBE cannot claim Min breached a non-compete clause. Her shareholder agreement with HYBE was terminated, and no new restrictions were imposed.

HYBE invested 21.5 billion KRW to establish ADOR in 2021, primarily to develop NewJeans. By 2024, ADOR recorded 240.7 billion KRW in cumulative revenue. The quintet's hiatus has stalled massive potential profits. If NewJeans cannot join OOAK, Min Hee-jin will likely focus on developing new artists.

That would require heavy investment. OOAK currently has 30 million KRW in capital. She could fund it personally or seek outside investors. Observers draw parallels to Lee Soo-man, who launched Blooming Grace and the multinational girl group A2O MAY after leaving SM.

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Min Hee-jin is also tangled in another legal battle. She is suing HYBE Labels over their one-sided termination of her shareholder contract. The dispute stems from HYBE ending the agreement without mutual consent. This case is separate from the NewJeans-ADOR lawsuit but could influence her broader business moves.

Edited by Shreya Jha