Ministry of Employment and Labor dismisses allegations of workplace harassment against HYBE executives after Min Hee-jin's employee filed complaint

On January 13, 2025, South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor dismissed workplace harassment allegations against HYBE Corporation executives after investigating a former ADOR employee's complaints. Chosun Biz reported that Min Hee-jin advised "L," a former vice president, to file a harassment complaint against HYBE and ADOR executives overseeing the reinvestigation, allegedly to ensure fairness in the process.

Telegram messages obtained by Chosun Biz revealed that Min Hee-jin instructed 'L' to use vacation and sick leave strategically to delay the reinvestigation process. Following her guidance, 'L' filed a workplace harassment report with the Ministry of Employment and Labor in September 2024.

Chosun Biz reported on January 13, that these actions were interpreted as attempts by Min Hee-jin to disrupt the reinvestigation and influence its outcome. The Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted a thorough investigation into the complaints filed by 'L.'

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Details about Min Hee-jin vs. HYBE and her facing harassment allegations from ex-ADOR employee

The situation began in August 2024 when 'A,' a former female employee of ADOR, accused Min Hee-jin, then CEO of ADOR, of covering up her s*xual harassment complaints. 'A' alleged that a male superior subjected her to daily harassment and s*xist remarks, coercing her into attending alcohol-involved dinner meetings.

She claimed that Min Hee-jin dismissed her complaints, sided with the superior, and berated her for raising the issue. 'A' resigned from ADOR in March 2024, citing these unresolved grievances.

In response, Min Hee-jin issued a statement denying the allegations, describing them as baseless attempts to tarnish her reputation. She contended that 'A' had performance issues and that her resignation was due to a salary reduction rather than harassment. This public exchange intensified scrutiny of the internal dynamics within ADOR and HYBE.

Following the initial investigation, 'A' requested a reinvestigation in August 2024, alleging that the process had been compromised by interference from Min Hee-jin and her associates. ADOR announced it would conduct a reinvestigation through an external agency.

Meanwhile, on January 13, 2025, Chosun Biz reported that after reviewing the evidence, including the context of the complaints and the communications between the involved parties, the Ministry concluded that the allegations did not constitute workplace harassment under the Labor Standards Act.

The case was administratively closed, clearing HYBE executives of workplace harassment charges. However, legal proceedings on related issues are ongoing.

The complainant, "A," has filed a separate complaint with the Seoul Western District Labor Office against Min Hee-jin and "L," alleging unfair labor practices and negligence. Additionally, "A" has reported Min Hee-jin to the police for alleged labor law violations, privacy breaches, and spreading false information, seeking damages of 100 million KRW (approximately 68,427 USD).

On January 6, 2025, Newsen reported that during a recent mediation session at the Seoul Western District Court, Min Hee-jin's legal team strongly denied 'A's claims, leading to the case proceeding to a formal trial. Min Hee-jin said:

"I cannot admit the entire truth, so I have no intention of participating in mediation. From the beginning, this incident was presumed to have occurred with the purpose of finding a false excuse to push for my dismissal, unrelated to 'B'."

Min Hee-jin added:

"'A' suddenly appeared and spread false information that I unilaterally protected only Vice President B or lied, while demanding a public apology by presenting distorted facts that I was not neutral and objective as the CEO, and I sensed a strange trend."

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In other news, on November 20, 2024, Min Hee-jin resigned from HYBE as one of its shareholders and as ADOR's internal director.