Min Hee-jin, the former ADOR CEO who launched NewJeans, is officially kicking off a new boy group.
OOAK Records, the independent label she founded, announced on the 24th via its official website that it’s holding a global open audition. The audition is for males born between 2008 and 2013. There are no restrictions on nationality or residence. Applications are accepted from Feb. 24 to March 27 through the official website. Eligible ages are 12 to 18 as of 2026.
OOAK Records stated, “We’ll break out of rigid molds and focus on the innate beauty of boys and the musical narrative they will create,” adding, “The world will watch a single seed grow into a vast forest.”
Earlier on the 5th, Min revealed an image of a mysterious boy in the label’s launch video. With that same boy reappearing in the audition notice, some speculated that debut members might already be set.
Meanwhile, Min recently partially won a lawsuit against HYBE over stock sale payments. On the termination of the shareholders’ agreement, the court acknowledged efforts to pursue ADOR’s independence but found that alone did not amount to a serious breach of contract. She also strongly denied a later rumor about contacting a wealthy Japanese figure, saying, “You’d probably do well writing a sci-fi novel or a makjang drama script.”
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)