Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin (left) and HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. Kyunghyang Shinmun file photo
The Korea Entertainment Producers Association (the Association) issued a critical statement after former CEO Min Hee-jin prevailed in a trial against HYBE concerning the effectiveness and termination of a shareholders’ agreement.
Issuing its position on the 13th, the Association said, “We view this matter not as a simple legal contest between particular parties, but as one that confirms the minimum order and principles the South Korean entertainment production field has upheld for decades,” adding, “We express deep regret over the first-instance ruling.”
It continued, “The Association is concerned that this ruling will not quell anxieties on the ground, but rather foment distrust,” and added, “More important than the ‘whether it was carried out’ of betrayal is the very ‘direction’ of betraying trust.”
The Association further stated, “This ruling sends a dangerous message that even if tampering was plotted, if it was not carried out or was detected before execution, a free pass could be given,” adding, “The logic that a contractual relationship must be maintained even when a relationship of trust has clearly collapsed forces investors to make conservative judgments, which will inevitably lead to an investment contraction across the entertainment industry.”
It also said, “Tampering is not a mere contract dispute, but an attempt to seize a joint product and a destructive act that uproots the industry’s trust,” and “The Association strongly urges the judiciary, in the appellate proceedings and beyond, to deeply discern the industry’s particularities and the realities of production sites.”
On the 12th, the 31st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Nam In-su) ruled entirely in favor of Min in both the put-option claim she filed against HYBE and HYBE’s suit seeking confirmation of termination of the shareholders’ agreement against her. The court ordered HYBE to pay Min put-option consideration of approximately 25.5 billion KRW.
[Statement] Korea Entertainment Producers Association “A ruling that condones tampering…concerns over contraction of the K-pop industry and collapse of production sites”
The Korea Entertainment Producers Association (hereinafter ‘the Association’) expresses deep regret over the first-instance ruling on February 12, 2026 concerning the effectiveness and termination of the shareholders’ agreement between HYBE and former CEO Min Hee-jin.
The Association views this matter not as a mere legal dispute between specific parties, but as one that confirms the minimal order and principles the South Korean entertainment production field has upheld for decades.
Whenever controversies over termination of exclusive contracts and suspicions of tampering have arisen, the Association has repeatedly warned that “when contracts and trust collapse, the foundation of the industry is shaken.”
The Association is concerned that this ruling will not calm anxieties on the ground, but rather foster distrust. More important than the ‘whether it was carried out’ of betrayal is the very ‘direction’ of abandoning trust.
Production is the product of process, not of results. It takes years, astronomical capital, and the devoted labor of countless staff to place a single team of artists before the public. The most powerful safety device in this complex workflow is the ‘trust’ between partners. The moment that trust breaks down, the production site collapses. Teams split, crews burn out, and artists and fandoms are swept into a vortex of disputes.
This ruling sends the dangerous message that even if tampering was plotted, if it was not carried out or was discovered before execution, a free pass could be given.
In particular, the Association notes that this ruling seriously undermines the ‘stability of investment contracts.’ In the production field, investment is more than mere fundraising; it is a long-term declaration of trust in systems and human resources. The assertion that contractual relations must be maintained even when a relationship of trust has plainly collapsed compels investors to make conservative judgments, which will, inevitably, lead to an investment contraction across the entire entertainment industry.
When investment dries up, the first to be hit are creative talent and new projects. Small and mid-sized production companies will wither, jobs on the ground will decline, and the diversity and competitiveness that K-pop has built in the global market will inevitably diminish. In that sense, this ruling can by no means be deemed a decision for producers.
Tampering destroys the field by the very act of attempting it. It is not a mere contractual dispute, but an act of usurping a joint product and a destructive act that uproots the industry’s trust.
The Association strongly urges the judiciary, in the appellate proceedings and subsequent steps, to deeply discern the industry’s particularities and the realities of production sites.
In continuing relationships founded on trust, clear legal boundaries must be presented to correct matters when that trust collapses.
Only then can producers once again trust people, invest capital, and nurture the next generation of artists.
The Association will continue to work to establish a sound contractual order and protect production systems so that the K-pop ecosystem can endure as a robust ‘system’ without being shaken by the deviance of any particular individual.
February 13, 2026
Korea Entertainment Producers Association
