NewJeans creator Min Hee-jin overwhelmed with audition applicants as she hints at new boy group

Min Hee-jin / Xportsnews

Interest in Min Hee-jin’s next move is growing after the former Ador CEO hinted at plans to produce a boy group, with her newly founded label’s first audition attracting a flood of applicants.

Min established her new entertainment company, OK Records, in October and completed corporate registration shortly afterward. Recently, the agency quietly launched submissions for a private, in-person audition at a prominent dance academy, quickly attracting aspiring trainees’ attention.

According to the original notice, applications for the audition were open online until Thursday at 10 p.m. However, on the same day, the academy posted an update on its official account titled “OK Records Private Audition Notice.”

The academy said, “Applications for the private audition exceeded expectations, far surpassing our operational capacity for the day. To ensure a smooth evaluation, we had no choice but to close submissions early.” The update added that the successful applicants would receive individual schedules and further instructions.

Min Hee-jin / Captured from YouTube channel "JTBCSHOW"

The overwhelming turnout fueled speculation that Min has formally begun work on a new idol project. Later the same day, she appeared on the YouTube livestream “JTBCSHOW,” where she discussed her ongoing put option lawsuit against HYBE and addressed the sudden audition buzz.

Regarding OK Records’ involvement, she said, “The academy simply included us in its regular audition lineup,” downplaying the idea that the agency had launched a full-scale recruitment drive.

As the CEO of OK Records, Min also shared her vision for a revamped industry structure. “I want to propose a new management model. I want shorter contract terms. There are still too many loopholes in the standard contract. Sometimes I wonder if this absurd fight I am in now is actually part of a paradigm shift,” she said. “I want to take on that kind of new challenge.”

Min drew further attention when she said she does not plan to launch another girl group anytime soon. “I don’t think I’ll be making a girl group next. Maybe someday, but not right now. If I do anything soon, it will be a boy group,” she said, adding, “If a boy group comes first, then maybe a girl group will follow.”

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.