Impresario Behind K-Pop Acts' Global Success

One of the main drivers behind the worldwide success of EXO, f(x), Girls' Generation, Red Velvet and SHINee is Min Hee-jin, the woman responsible for their global packaging.

Now at Hybe's newest indie label ADOR, she oversaw the new music video of girl band NewJeans that was released last week.

Min rose through the ranks to become a director at SM Entertainment but moved to Hybe, the management company behind K-pop juggernaut Bangtan Boys, also known as BTS, in 2019 and is now CEO of ADOR.

She is recognized as the first K-pop industry figure to embrace total control of an act's "look," which is perpetuated through anything from album covers to short films. She was chosen by Variety magazine in March as one of the "Women That Have Made an Impact in Global Entertainment."

NewJeans are the first girl group created by Min from the ground up at Hybe. She oversaw their creation from the global audition in 2019 to the name, album, music and choreography.

Five teenagers were chosen as raw material -- Kim Min-jee (18), Hani (18, Vietnamese), Danielle (17, Korean-Australian), Hae-rin (16) and Lee Hye-in (14). They release their first mini-album on Aug. 8, but the music video for "Attention," came out last Friday.

Min said the group's name "embodies their aim of becoming an icon that is loved by everyone like blue jeans."