Star producer of NewJeans quits after legal spat with BTS agency

The South Korean super-producer behind the chart-topping girl group NewJeans resigned from her label on Nov 20, following a protracted legal battle with Hybe that has rocked the country's K-pop industry.

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Ms Min Hee-jin announced her departure in a statement following what she called a "hellish dispute with Hybe" and vowed legal action against the entertainment company.

The saga began in April, when Hybe launched an audit of subsidiary Ador - NewJeans' label - and attempted to push Ms Min out, accusing her of breach of trust.

The move sparked a sprawling legal and public relations battle which has seen the boardroom workings of K-pop hashed out in South Korean courts. Ms Min accused Hybe, the agency of K-pop boy band BTS, of copying her star-making formula for a competing girl band.

She slammed Hybe's action against her as a "witch hunt" in a statement on Nov 20, saying she would take "necessary legal actions" against the company and individuals over the dispute. She added that she would embark on a "new K-pop journey" in future.