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Ex-ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin found guilty of workplace harassment and biased investigation against ex-employee; know more
Former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin has been fined for workplace harassment after a labor ministry probe confirmed misconduct, despite her denials. She also faces accusations of interfering in investigation.
Min Hee Jin, the former CEO of ADOR, has been fined by South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor after a formal investigation found that she had engaged in workplace harassment against a former employee. This decision comes after months of public controversy surrounding her leadership at ADOR and her ongoing legal battle with HYBE, the parent company of the label.
The ruling, which was disclosed on March 24 through a report by Ten Asia, marks a significant legal setback for Min Hee Jin, who has consistently denied the allegations. However, the labor ministry’s findings confirm that some of her actions were unlawful, contradicting her previous claims of innocence.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s investigation, Min Hee Jin’s treatment of the complainant, referred to as ‘A,’ in October and December 2023 exceeded the limits of acceptable workplace behavior. The ministry determined that her repeated remarks and actions toward ‘A’, an ex-ADOR employee, caused emotional and psychological distress, which in turn contributed to a hostile work environment.
The ruling specified that the nature of Min’s interactions with ‘A’ went beyond the expectations of a professional workplace relationship. Her words and actions were deemed inappropriate to the extent that they negatively affected the employee’s mental and physical well-being, leading the labor ministry to classify them as workplace harassment.
In response to these findings, the labor ministry imposed a fine on Min. While the exact amount of the penalty has not been publicly disclosed, under South Korean labor laws, the maximum fine for workplace harassment violations is 5 million KRW (approximately 3,410 USD). The labor office’s decision signifies that Min’s actions were considered serious enough to warrant financial penalties rather than a simple warning.
In addition to the workplace harassment charges, the investigation also found Min responsible for interfering in an internal probe related to another harassment case at ADOR. The complainant, ‘A,’ had previously reported former ADOR Vice CEO ‘B’ for workplace harassment, alleging that Min did not handle the situation fairly.
The labor office’s report revealed that Min actively attempted to influence the investigation process. She allegedly contacted ‘B’ to request private messages related to the case, potentially affecting the integrity of the inquiry. Furthermore, she was found to have described the accusations against ‘B’ as “one-sided and biased” when speaking with another ADOR executive referred to as ‘C.’
These actions were deemed a violation of Min’s duty as a company leader to ensure that all internal investigations were conducted fairly and without bias. The labor office concluded that her interference in the process was inappropriate and played a role in further worsening the working environment at ADOR. Following the labor ministry’s ruling, ‘A’ publicly shared a summary of the case resolution, confirming that Min had been found guilty of workplace harassment and of failing to conduct an objective investigation.
“Min Hee Jin’s workplace harassment (including verbal abuse) was confirmed, and she was fined accordingly. The recognized proportion of workplace harassment was 12%, and the fine imposed is a significant level of sanction, going beyond a simple warning,” they stated.
In their statement, ‘A’ expressed gratitude toward those who had supported them throughout the process and emphasized that they had given Min multiple chances to resolve the situation amicably. They claimed to have offered her at least four opportunities to issue an apology and put an end to the matter, but Min had refused and instead chosen to pursue legal action against them.
The former employee also addressed their ongoing legal battle, stating that they would continue to defend themselves in both civil and criminal cases, including the lawsuit Min filed against them. ‘A’ further noted that while workplace harassment allegations against the former vice CEO were confirmed, separate accusations of sexual harassment were deemed inconclusive by the labor ministry, and no additional penalties were imposed for those claims.
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