[비즈한국] Min Hee-jin, CEO of OK Records (corporate name OK), resigned from ADOR in November 2024. Subsequently, she established OK Records in October 2025 to make a fresh start. CEO Min has been recognized for her producing capabilities through her work with numerous famous artists, including Girls' Generation, SHINee, EXO, and NewJeans. While CEO Min had previously worked under companies like SM Entertainment, HYBE, and ADOR, she had never managed a company as an owner herself. In this sense, OK Records marks the beginning of her career as an owner-manager.
Social Media Left Dormant for Over 4 Months
When CEO Min Hee-jin established OK Records, the entertainment industry turned its gaze toward her. This was only natural, as CEO Min had resigned from ADOR following conflicts with HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. Given that CEO Min is one of the most representative producers in K-pop, it was inevitable that her next steps would attract significant interest.
From CEO Min Hee-jin's perspective, it seems she had a solid backing. At the time of OK Records' founding, the stance was that NewJeans would not continue their activities under ADOR. If NewJeans were to promote under OK Records, both CEO Min and the company could have grown much faster. However, HYBE and ADOR asserted the validity of NewJeans' exclusive contracts, and the court upheld their claims. Eventually, NewJeans also expressed their intention to continue their activities under ADOR.
With the recruitment of NewJeans having fallen through, OK Records must now scout for new artists from scratch. OK Records held auditions for a boy group in March of this year. Related information, such as how the auditions were conducted or how many candidates passed, has not been disclosed. After beginning full-scale operations in February of this year, OK Records posted frequently on social media (SNS), but no posts have been made since the auditions in March. OK Records’ social media accounts have been effectively dormant for over four months.
Of course, there is no requirement to introduce artists who have not yet officially debuted, nor is there a strict obligation to post on social media when there is no active activity. However, considering that music and entertainment are businesses where public interest is crucial, falling off the radar is not seen as a positive development. It is also difficult to view OK Records as a company that receives attention even when it remains quiet, unlike other large-scale entertainment agencies.
Rumors of Investment Consideration from Specialized Firms
Another issue for OK Records is its financial status. There are not a few cases where artists under small to mid-sized entertainment agencies fail to succeed due to funding problems. The costs associated with music production, promotion, and marketing differ significantly from those of large entertainment companies, which becomes a cause for falling behind in competition. The term "miracle of small-to-mid agency idols" did not appear for no reason.
This is also a systemic issue throughout the popular music industry. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young said at a meeting in July of this year, "The gap in music production budgets between large conglomerates and small-to-mid agencies is widening, and polarization is becoming more severe." Woo Seung-hyun, Chairman of the Korea Popular Music Industry Association, also noted, "It is common to hear that it costs 10 billion won to create one idol group and put them on stage."
Although it is reported that CEO Min Hee-jin received a substantial salary at SM Entertainment and ADOR, it is difficult to maintain OK Records solely with her personal wealth. There are rumors that some investment-specialized firms are reviewing potential investments in OK Records. An official from an investment firm known to be considering an investment in OK Records stated, "I must be cautious with my words, as speaking about investment plans in advance could be problematic under the Capital Markets Act."
Among investors, there are varying perspectives on the potential success of OK Records. While there is an optimistic outlook that given the capabilities CEO Min Hee-jin has demonstrated so far, she could sufficiently succeed at OK Records, there is also a pessimistic view that, as the entertainment industry has now entered an era of economies of scale, the success of a new company cannot be guaranteed.
For example, although HYBE was founded in 2005, it did not become a household name until after the mid-2010s, when BTS became active in earnest. It is difficult to argue that HYBE's success was delayed due to a lack of capability on the part of Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. Chairman Bang was a lead producer at JYP Entertainment and was recognized for his abilities within the industry. This goes to show that success in the entertainment business is not something that can be easily guaranteed.
In previous interviews, CEO Min Hee-jin has emphasized that OK Records is an agency for artists. In December 2025, on the YouTube channel 'Genre-only Yeouido', CEO Min stated, "I want to propose new management methods along with a revision of standard contracts," adding, "We need to significantly shorten contract durations and change the structure to one where we work together because we need each other."
CEO Min Hee-jin holds the position that there are problems with the seven-year exclusive contract structure. However, it is expected that CEO Min will need to persuade investors if she intends to overhaul this structure. The reason entertainment companies have used seven-year exclusive contracts as a standard has been to recoup the investment costs poured into artist development. If an artist who was painstakingly trained transfers to another agency within a short period, the agency must bear significant losses.
Despite all these sources of instability, if CEO Min Hee-jin’s OK Records manages to achieve results, it could breathe new life into artist management culture. In most cases, idol artists go through training and typically sign seven-year exclusive contracts. However, CEO Min Hee-jin has expressed her desire to bring about change in this very structure. The entertainment industry is focused on whether CEO Min's attempt will succeed or simply end as an idealistic theory.