A high-stakes court battle is brewing between former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and a former employee who alleges she was sexually harassed. After mediation efforts fell apart, the two parties are set to face off in court this month. The former employee is seeking damages for defamation.
A 100 million won damages lawsuit was filed by a former ADOR employee ‘A’ against Min Hee Jin in August 2024. The ex-ADOR CEO was accused of covering up a sexual harassment incident and distorting statements.
The Seoul Western District Court’s 51st Civil Division referred the case to mediation on November 28, 2024. However, unfortunately, the mediation failed, and the case will now proceed to the main lawsuit.
Before mediation, employee A made it clear that she’d only participate if Min owned up to her mistakes and apologized. However, her side rejected this condition, stating that they could not admit to all the alleged facts and had no intention of participating in mediation.
Last year, employee A took to social media to share an update on the mediation proceedings. “I showed up to the mediation for my civil damages case against Min Hee Jin today,” she wrote. A revealed that only lawyers were present from the other side, so meditation was not possible.
The first argument between A and former CEO Min Hee Jin in court is scheduled for March 17. A filed the lawsuit in August, alleging sexual harassment and seeking 100 million won in damages. In September, the court approved a seizure of her real estate worth 100 million won, likely as a measure to secure payment. The lawsuit has drawn attention due to A’s allegations of sexual harassment against Min Hee Jin and ADOR’s vice president.
A alleged that she suffered sexual harassment by the label’s vice president during her tenure and that the former CEO attempted to cover up the incident. Following this, A filed a complaint with the Mapo Police Station in Seoul in August, accusing Min Hee Jin of defamation and violating the Personal Information Protection Act.
Additionally, A reported her and the vice president to the Seoul Western Branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor for unfair labor practices and labor-management irregularities. Although a seizure order has been issued for Min Hee Jin’s property, the actual disposal process will not begin immediately.
The seizure of her property is a precautionary measure to ensure payment if A wins the lawsuit. If Min Hee Jin is unable to pay the damages, the seized assets can be sold to cover the compensation.
Meanwhile, Min Hee Jin’s dispute with HYBE began in April last year when an internal audit revealed her attempts to make ADOR a separate entity. A lot has happened since then. NewJeans has parted ways with the label and is publicly showing its support for Hee Jin. The group has rebranded as NJZ and will carry out activities under the new name.
The court will hear ADOR’s plea to prevent them from signing independent advertising contracts on March 7. The court hearing for a lawsuit regarding the contract’s validity is scheduled for next month.