HYBE re-opens investigation into NewJeans producer Min Hee-jin's alleged sexual harassment coverup

According to the latest September 28, 2024, Billboard report, HYBE has re-opened the s*xual and workplace harassment case against a former ADOR employee that allegedly took place while Min Hee-jin was the CEO of ADOR.

On September 24, HYBE confirmed to Billboard that ADOR opened an inquiry to determine if Min Hee-jin unlawfully meddled in the business's preliminary probe into a s*xual harassment allegation. As the parent company of ADOR, they also stated that they would look into the matter to see if she breached confidentiality agreements as well when the harassment case was reported by the victim.

For the unversed, in April 2024, reports surfaced that an ADOR Vice President allegedly harassed a female ADOR employee. When the employee reported him to Min Hee-jin, she allegedly dismissed it by stating that it was a misunderstanding.

The Korea Times reported that Min Hee-jin released several KakaoTalk messages that included the former female employee's texts to her, violating the victim's privacy. The victim was incensed at the former ADOR CEO for misrepresenting the facts and releasing the communications without her consent.

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Min Hee-jin faces allegations by HYBE of intimidating the former ADOR employee victim of s*xual harassment

HYBE's sub-label ADOR, which owns NewJeans, has re-opened the lawsuit under the label's new CEO, Kim Joo-young. Min Hee-jin reportedly is against the company's internal investigation. According to Billboard's sources, the latest investigation focuses on allegations that Min Hee-jin attempted to conceal the harassment incident and tried to intimidate the victim.

According to an internal report shared with Billboard, in February 2024, an ADOR VP reportedly pressured a female colleague to go to dinner with a client. The VP—who was later fired for conspiring against HYBE—told the employee that it would be advantageous to have a young lady present. Later, the VP left the employee alone with the client abruptly.

The victim reported it to HYBE, alleging bullying and s*xual harassment at work. However, due to the lack of conclusive evidence, the vice president was let go with a warning. Allegedly, Min Hee-jin later arranged an all-hands meeting with both the accused and the complainant. She assumed that the female employee was lying about the incident.

Billboard reported that Min Hee-jin personally gave the VP advice on how to handle the accusations. Later, the victim filed a lawsuit against Min Hee-jin and the VP for violations of her privacy and defamation as the former ADOR CEO released her KakaoTalk chats. However, Min Hee-jin refuted claims of a coverup.

Meanwhile, Billboard contacted Min Hee-jin and she stated that she only released the chats and the salary slips of the former female employee, but did not reveal her name. According to Min Hee-jin, the reason for the employee's resignation was not because of s*xual harassment or bullying at work, but rather a pay reduction due to her poor performance.

Min Hee-jin demanded a third-party team to investigate the case. She accused current ADOR CEO, Kim Joo-young, of making the decisions during the initial investigation and said,

“I have been telling HYBE, ‘If you want to do an investigation or re-investigation, you need to make it formal and official by not having any investigating done by those involved in previous cases. They could hire a third party to investigate, but instead, they’re going into another internal investigation by the same person who actually made the final decision.”

Meanwhile, HYBE told Billboard that the case was re-opened and has been investigated by an independent committee.

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Currently, Min Hee-jin has filed an injunction to call an emergency shareholders' meeting to get re-appointed as ADOR's CEO. The meeting is scheduled for October 11, 2024.