Min Hee-jin Suspected of Coercing 'Workplace Bullying' Reports... Ministry of Employment Clears HYBE

Min instructed "File a complaint as a countermeasure" in vice president's sexual harassment case

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has dismissed the workplace harassment complaint filed against HYBE's management.

Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR Yonhap News

On the 13th, Chosun Biz reported that the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office under the Ministry of Employment and Labor issued an administrative closure last month, stating that "HYBE's workplace harassment is not recognized," regarding the complaint filed by former Adoer Vice President A.

Former Vice President A claimed in September last year that HYBE conducted coercive and unfair illegal audits and reported the current Adoer management, including CEO Kim Ju-young and inside director Lee Kyung-jun, for workplace harassment.

Earlier, in March last year, former Vice President A was reported for allegedly committing workplace harassment and sexual harassment against former Adoer employee B. At that time, former CEO Min Hee-jin, who was the Adoer CEO, was accused of instructing former Vice President A to file a workplace harassment complaint against HYBE's management when the case led to a reinvestigation. The media added that "It was a countermeasure against B's complaint. It was an unspoken pressure to investigate both fairly," suggesting that the complaint was coerced.

Former Vice President A was at the center of the controversy over the takeover of Adoer's management rights along with former CEO Min and was the person against whom former Adoer employee B raised allegations of workplace harassment and sexual harassment. At that time, B raised concerns that former CEO Min was deeply involved in trying to cover up the incident related to former Vice President A.

In response, in August last year, B filed a complaint with the Labor Office against former CEO Min and former Vice President A for unfair labor practices and labor-management improprieties. Additionally, B filed a lawsuit seeking damages worth 100 million won, claiming that former CEO Min leaked conversation records with B. In a recent court mediation process, former CEO Min's side rejected B's claims and caused the mediation to fail.