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HYBE has reportedly hired a creative head in place of the former ADOR CEO, Min Hee-jin. On May 21, 2025, industry insiders told K-media's Weekly Chosun that Lee Bo-young, a former top branding figure at Shinsegae Group, is preparing to join HYBE.
According to the report, she stepped away from her role earlier this month at Shinsegae and is scheduled to begin the formal joining process at HYBE's main headquarters by the end of May.
Lee Bo-young, recognized for her creative direction and brand strategy expertise, made history in 2010 as the first woman to hold an executive position at Shinsegae Group.
Over the years, she's held creative leadership roles at top names like Sephora under LVMH. Lee also oversaw Google's global design strategy. In 2023, she circled back to Shinsegae as a key advisor while Jung Yoo-kyung steered efforts toward expanding beauty and lifestyle ventures.
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Until recently, Lee headed the Label Division branches of Shinsegae and Shinsegae Global. While at Shinsegae, she was regarded as a close associate of group chairperson Chung Kyung.
Sources familiar with the development said Lee will likely enter HYBE's parent company instead of one of its sub-labels. At present, only a few senior members within HYBE are said to be aware of Lee's arrival, and the matter is being kept private.
"It is true that Executive Director Lee is going to HYBE," an insider stated.
They continued:
"Although there are still very few people within Hive who know about this, it is a story that has only been shared with some executives."
This mirrors how former Min Hee-jin initially joined HYBE's upper-level division before taking over label operations. However, the company has not disclosed Lee's title or role. Reacting to the announcement, a HYBE representative stated to Weekly Chosun:
"We do not confirm the fact of whether or not a specific member has joined."
The update comes shortly after former CEO Min Hee-jin's exit from the company. HYBE has not shared further details about the nature of her responsibilities or her involvement in future projects.
Min Hee-jin's fallout with HYBE explained
On August 27, 2024, HYBE's board voted to dismiss Min Hee-jin from her position as ADOR's CEO. Despite her removal, she stayed on as the group's producer. In October, she was reinstated as an internal director at a shareholder meeting but later stepped down again, requesting that HYBE repurchase her shares in the company.
The creative force behind NewJeans officially cut ties with HYBE on November 20, 2024. She resigned from her position and ended her shareholder contract with the parent company.
In a formal statement, she pointed to persistent internal friction and announced plans to take legal action against HYBE and its related personnel. The split followed months of internal changes.
The situation escalated in December. That same month, she lodged a criminal complaint against HYBE's communications head, Park Tae-hee, and PR director Cho.
She alleged that they had publicly minimized NewJeans' success, causing reputational harm to both the group and the label. On December 5, 2024, ADOR initiated legal proceedings to stop NewJeans from terminating their exclusive agreement, stating that a contract cannot be voided by one party alone.
Further claims surfaced in January 2025. Park Jung-kyu, chairman of tech firm Davolink, alleged that Min Hee-jin had attempted to shift NewJeans to another agency. According to Park, she had approached investors and discussed the possibility of moving the group to a different company.
A trial was conducted on April 17, 2025, concerning the stakeholder contract cancellation. Min Hee-jin's attorney group claimed that HYBE was responsible for explaining the situation.
Five days later, on April 22, 2025, she publicly stated that HYBE had not adequately addressed her legal points in court.
In March 2025, Min Hee-jin won a defamation case linked to online posts made during her dispute with HYBE. The court ruled in her favor, acknowledging the damaging nature of the comments and their connection to the ongoing conflict.
