On February 5, OOAK Records opened its official Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts, along with its official website.
The following day, the label promoted the move by stating that Min Hee Jin’s independent label, long shrouded in rumors and anticipation, had finally broken its silence and sent its first signal to the world. After unveiling a teaser for the ‘OOAK Records Launch Campaign,’ the label released the main content on February 5 at 10 a.m. Posts began rolling out sequentially, starting with the phrase, “Welcome to the OOAK Records shop.”
The first video, captioned simply ‘shop1,’ featured an old record store in France as its backdrop. A voice over the telephone was heard saying, “A lot has been prepared. You’ll definitely like it.” The next video took the form of a “wanted” poster.
The hints stated that nationality does not matter and that candidates should be born between 2008 and 2013. With a boy’s face placed on the poster, the content strongly suggested the formation of a boy group and appeared to reveal conditions such as nationality and age for audition applicants. A website address was also promoted for those seeking more information about the “wanted” individual, seemingly referring to the audition.
Another video, themed ‘Only One Always Known,’ showed vinyl records flying through the air in an alley in Japan. This was followed by scenes of trainees practicing dance in an old building and the sequential reveal of OOAK Records branches in various countries. The project marks Min Hee Jin’s latest venture, already stirring buzz across the K-pop scene. By introducing the first “member” through a wanted-style poster, the campaign signals an unconventional and bold start. Content set against OOAK Records shops worldwide also suggests an ambition to target the global music market.
Min Hee Jin previously served as a creative director at SM Entertainment and later as Chief Brand Officer at HYBE. She went on to become CEO of ADOR, where she led the successful debut of NewJeans. However, the situation now differs from the past. After declaring an all-out conflict with HYBE, members who had previously sided with Min reportedly returned to HYBE, raising questions about her leadership. A first-instance ruling in her lawsuit with HYBE over the put option payment settlement is scheduled for February 12.
Additionally, ADOR has filed a lawsuit seeking approximately 43.1 billion KRW (about 29.6 million USD) in damages and penalties, raising allegations of tampering against Min Hee Jin, former NewJeans member Danielle, and her family. Min previously held a surprise press conference on January 28 to address the tampering allegations, but no definitive clarification emerged.
Min once earned the nickname “NewJeans’ mom” after creating NewJeans under ADOR, emphasizing close familial bonds and even describing the group as a six-member team. However, the group ultimately fractured. While the phenomenon may not have lasted as long as expected, it is undeniable that the NewJeans project she launched left a significant impact on the K-pop industry. With OOAK Records now signaling the debut of her first boy group, attention is turning to what kind of members and concept she will introduce through this new project.
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