[Exclusive] Min Hee-jin Involved in ‘Workplace Bullying’ Complaint… Ministry of Employment Finds HYBE Not Guilty

Min Hee-jin Allegedly Directed Retaliatory Complaints During Sexual Harassment Reinvestigation
“Filing a complaint might be meaningful,” she said... But the Ministry of Employment closed the case without action.
Evidence suggests she obstructed both the original investigation and reinvestigation of the harassment case.

South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) has reportedly concluded its investigation into workplace bullying allegations involving executives of HYBE, the country’s largest entertainment agency, finding no wrongdoing and closing the case.

The allegations stemmed from a complaint filed in September last year by former deputy CEO "L," a known associate of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. L claimed that HYBE’s executives conducted an illegal audit by forcefully confiscating corporate assets, which constituted workplace bullying. However, the ministry determined the allegations were unsubstantiated.

According to ChosunBiz, there is evidence that Min Hee-jin was deeply involved in directing L’s complaint. L, who is also said to have orchestrated Min’s plan to seize control of ADOR's management, is at the center of an ongoing legal dispute between Min and HYBE over the label’s management rights.

On the 13th, industry sources confirmed that the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office, under the MOEL, ruled in December that “workplace bullying by HYBE could not be substantiated” and administratively closed L’s complaint. L had accused five key executives, including ADOR CEO Kim Ju-young and HYBE CFO Lee Kyung-jun, of workplace bullying.

The background behind L’s complaint traces back to July of last year. At that time, a media outlet reported that L was accused of workplace bullying and sexual harassment, and Min Hee-jin allegedly attempted to cover up the incident. L had been identified as the perpetrator in a workplace bullying complaint.

According to the report, in March of last year, “A,” the victim in the case, accused L of forcing her to attend a drinking session solely because she was a “young female employee.” L allegedly left her alone with an external guest at the gathering and made verbally abusive remarks. She filed an internal complaint against L for workplace bullying.

During the initial investigation into the matter, Min Hee-jin, then the CEO of ADOR, reportedly advised L to take retaliatory action against A. She allegedly suggested, “Shouldn’t you countersue A for false accusations?” and made remarks like “In-real-life consequences are real” (a Korean slang phrase suggesting harsh retaliation). Min even provided detailed coaching on how L should respond to the investigation via email.

After learning of Min’s interference, A claimed that the initial investigation was unfairly influenced by Min and formally requested a reinvestigation in August of last year.

ADOR announced that it would conduct a reinvestigation through an external organization, which was eventually implemented. However, when the reinvestigation began, Min Hee-jin reportedly instructed L to retaliate.

Telegram messages between Min and L, obtained by ChosunBiz, reveal that Min directed L to file a workplace bullying complaint with the MOEL against the executives leading the reinvestigation. Min reportedly stated, “Filing a workplace bullying complaint would serve as a countermeasure to A’s complaint and exert implicit pressure for a fair investigation.” L responded, “It seems meaningful,” and added, “To make this effective, I’ll need to stay with the company a bit longer.

Min also advised L, “Take appropriate sick leave and vacation while filing the complaint. Just hold out through September.” Following her advice, L reportedly delayed the reinvestigation schedule by taking sick leave and vacation. In September, L filed a workplace bullying complaint against HYBE executives with the MOEL.