Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR and currently head of OK Records, is preparing to host a closed audition this Sunday at a well-known dance academy in Seoul. Industry watchers believe this initiative marks the official beginning of Min’s plan to assemble a new K-pop group. After parting ways with NewJeans, this step represents her first major project under her new agency.
According to a report by the Korea Herald, OK Records was established by Min last October and swiftly completed corporate registration. The company lists a wide range of activities, including artist management, music production, album creation, distribution, concert operations, event planning, and brand management—highlighting its structure as a modern, multi-functional entertainment agency.
Through the social media platforms of an affiliated dance studio, OK Records announced an online audition open to individuals born between 2006 and 2011. Both male and female participants can apply, and nationality is not a barrier, suggesting that the agency aims to recruit talent from a global pool. The deadline for submissions has been set for Thursday at 10 PM.
Min, once affectionately known as the “guardian of NewJeans,” publicly supported the group on 12 November when some members expressed their desire to return to ADOR. However, ADOR is yet to conclude its individual meetings with Minji, Hanni and Danielle. Analysts claim this situation demonstrates that Min and NewJeans are now progressing in diverging directions.
NewJeans terminated their contract with ADOR in November last year, while earlier in August Min Hee-jin was dismissed from her CEO role amid a conflict with HYBE. Following a prolonged legal battle, the Seoul Central District Court in October upheld the validity of the contract between ADOR and NewJeans, allowing the group to resume its activities under ADOR’s management.