Korean media reported that on August 20, ADOR (under HYBE Group) - the management company of the NewJeans group - appointed Lee Do Kyung as the new CEO, replacing Kim Joo Young after only 1 year.
Explaining the decision, ADOR stated, This move is aimed at further enhancing the companys operations, as a company specializing in planning and managing artist activities, including album production and concerts.
Lee Do Kyung joined HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) in 2019.
In 2022, Lee Do Kyung will hold the position of Vice President of HYBE's IPX Sales Department, focusing on expanding the business of goods, pop-up stores and lightsticks based on artist's ownership, fan experience; especially leading the project "The City" - an initiative to spread Kpop fandom culture on a city scale.
Previously, after removing ADOR's first CEO - Min Hee Jin in August 2024, human resources expert Kim Joo Young was appointed as ADOR CEO until now, to separate production and management activities, while stabilizing the organizational structure through appropriate personnel restructuring.
After achieving these goals, ADOR's board of directors decided to switch to a system that can more quickly support artists' activities and business growth, assigning this role to a leader with practical expertise in company management.
With the guidance of new CEO Lee Do Kyung, ADOR said it has built a more flexible structure to support the artist lineup.
However, ADOR's only artist, girl group NewJeans, is having a contract dispute with the company. The contract lawsuit between the two sides is on the stage of debate and mediation and will have results at the end of October.
Amid the situation of NewJeans temporarily suspending operations, in June this year, ADOR launched the Ador Boys Global Audition 2025 program to select members for a next-generation boy group.
