Min Hee Jin has partially won a lawsuit seeking damages from eight individuals who posted malicious comments about her.
As reported by legal sources on March 19, Judge Ahn Hyun Jin of the Seoul Central District Court partially sided with former CEO Min in a lawsuit against malicious commenters.
As a result, the individuals responsible for the defamatory comments have been ordered to pay Min between 50,000 to 100,000 won (approximately $34 to USD 68) in damages. This ruling comes after the ex-ADOR CEO filed lawsuits against multiple individuals for spreading false information and making personal attacks.
The court determined that comments like “Cunning bit*h” are considered harsh opinions and not defamation, so no compensation will be given.
However, the court did find some comments to be defamatory and assigned compensation amounts based on their severity. The most offensive comments, such as “Just three letters: crazy b_h”, resulted in a ₩100,000 payment. Less severe but still harmful comments, including “I want to punch her”, “Fing piece of s_”, and “Psycho bh”, will require a ₩50,000 payment.
Min Hee Jin had requested 3 million won in damages, but the court awarded a significantly lower amount. This decision was based on the court’s strict guidelines for calculating damages for emotional distress. Since neither party has appealed the ruling, it is now considered final. This outcome may also impact her additional lawsuit, as it could set a precedent for the court’s decision in that case.
In April 2024, when HYBE accused Min Hee Jin of attempting to gain independence for ADOR and seize control of the company. In response, she held two press conferences to deny the allegations. However, this led to a surge in malicious online comments. To address the situation, Hee Jin decided to take legal action against the perpetrators to seek damages for the hurtful comments.
Meanwhile, she is entangled in multiple legal disputes. Min Hee Jin is currently embroiled in lawsuits with BELIFT LAB and SOURCE MUSIC and is also defending herself against a 100 million won damages claim filed by former ADOR employee A.
She was removed as the CEO of the label on August 27, 2024, and Kim Joo Young replaced her as the new CEO. In November 2024, she cut ties with HYBE by resigning from her position of internal director. NewJeans (now rebranded as NJZ) also terminated their contract with ADOR on November 29 last year and showed their support for Min Hee Jin. NJZ is currently carrying out activities independently without a label. They will make their first appearance as NJZ at ComplexCon Hong Kong this week. They will reveal the new group concept and five new songs at the festival.
