Min Hee Jin clarifies ex-boyfriend allegations involving BANA CEO, says they are not a key legal issue

19 Dec 2025, 13:05 by Demian09 · allkpop

Former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin has addressed claims involving Beasts And Natives Alike (BANA) CEO Kim Ki Hyun, clarifying that he is her former boyfriend and dismissing the matter as irrelevant to the core legal dispute.

On December 19, Min appeared on YTN Radio ‘Kim Jun Woo’s News Frontline,' where she spoke candidly about the ongoing lawsuits between herself and HYBE.

Min described the situation as baffling, saying “It was such an absurd case that even in court yesterday, people couldn’t help but laugh. During the final cross-examination, questions suddenly came up about my former boyfriend. I immediately thought, ‘They must have deliberately included this expecting media play.’”

The remarks followed a court hearing held on December 18 at the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 31, presided over by Judge Nam In Soo. The hearing addressed HYBE’s lawsuit seeking confirmation of the termination of a shareholder agreement with Min, as well as Min’s counterclaim demanding payment related to the exercise of her put option.

During the proceedings, allegations surfaced about a possible contract between Min and BANA, along with revelations that BANA CEO Kim Ki Hyun is Min’s former boyfriend. HYBE questioned whether the two maintained improper personal ties. Min previously refuted this, stating that they had broken up long before the NewJeans project began.

Addressing this directly on the broadcast, Min explained, “I could explain everything very clearly and transparently. Strictly speaking, calling him my ‘ex-boyfriend’ isn’t even accurate in this context. We broke up before the NewJeans contract. We started the contract when we were complete strangers, so even calling him an ex-boyfriend feels odd, but since the plaintiff used that expression, there was no reason for me to deny it.”

She continued, “We had already ended everything before this began. Honestly, would anyone want to give special treatment to an ex? Wouldn’t you want to give them nothing at all? You wouldn’t even stay in contact. It was a private matter that never needed to be disclosed, and it had nothing to do with this case.”

Min emphasized that the issue holds no legal weight, adding, “This is not a key issue and not evidence of anything. Dragging in a former boyfriend and using a creepy expression like ‘romantic relationship’ shocked me. That’s why I laid out the timelines and financial details very clearly.”

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