HYBE has reopened an investigation against Min Hee-jin, the faded CEO of its subsidiary imprint ADOR, with whom the K-pop conglomerate has been in a monthslong apt fight concerning her field on the company.
On Sept. 24, HYBE confirmed to Billboard that ADOR launched an investigation into whether Min improperly interfered in the company’s initial investigation correct into a sexual harassment voice and violated confidentiality duties. ADOR moreover began a re-investigation of an ADOR VP enthusiastic in the realm. HYBE declined to commentary on how prolonged the investigations had been underway or after they notion to fragment their findings. Min and a consultant interpret Billboard she used to be never formally informed of the investigation through exterior or internal company capacity.
Min is pushing support on HYBE’s handling of the case, which used to be initiated by its sub-imprint ADOR, which houses NewJeans, calling the company’s internal investigations biased due to an alleged warfare of interest with the govt. who modified her as imprint CEO overseeing the case.
Sources interpret Billboard that the investigation involves allegations that Min had coated up an incident fascinating a male VP at ADOR, where a female employee reported feeling stressed and bullied right through a piece-connected dinner.
The controversy dates support to February 2024, when the ADOR VP allegedly compelled a female employee to attend a dinner with a shopper, claiming it would possibly well maybe maybe maybe be priceless to possess a younger lady novel, in step with an internal file shared with Billboard. Within the course of the dinner, the VP left , leaving the employee by myself with a shopper, increasing an miserable arena that the file says “regarded orchestrated.” The employee reported the incident to HYBE’s internal compliance machine, citing sexual harassment and direct of work bullying. While an internal HR investigation used to be performed, it finally instant handiest a stern warning for the VP, as harassment claims couldn’t be definitively confirmed, with the case disregarded.
Min Hee-jin’s characteristic in the aftermath of this criticism is what has come below scrutiny. In accordance with the file, Min doubted the credibility of the employee’s criticism and organized an all-fingers assembly with both the complainant and the accused, violating the company’s customary HR procedures. An audit of the realm added that Min had coached the VP on solutions about how to answer to the allegations.
When the Korean tabloid arrangement Dispatch first reported the incident, Min responded to the claims with a media assertion and shared recordsdata concerning the employee on her social media, including the employee’s wage. HYBE has mentioned that the employee filed court docket cases for defamation and privateness violations, but a consultant for Min tells Billboard she, as successfully because the VP, are handiest going through a defamation swimsuit, and nothing connected to sexual harassment in court docket. The receive adds that the VP has moreover sued the employee for defamation and claimed damages, which had not been beforehand shared with the media.
At the time, Min acknowledged that the points stemmed from miserable work efficiency and that the employee left the company after a wage lower. Min tells Billboard the wage recordsdata she published through an Instagram Legend put up did not name the particular individual and says it used to be HYBE, not herself, who publicly disclosed the private parties’ identities in media statements throughout their dispute.
In a phone interview closing week, Min wondered the legitimacy of HYBE’s ongoing investigations and straight addressed the appointment of Ju Young Kim, ADOR’s contemporary CEO, who modified her and led the initial investigation that disregarded the harassment voice. Within the course of her time as ADOR’s CEO, Min claims she used to be not in a field to “veil” sexual harassment circumstances nor guilty of such choices.
“The one who in actual fact made a final resolution after reviewing all of the statements, all of the proof and reporting, is Kim Ju Young, who is currently the CEO of ADOR,” Min says. “She made those final choices by herself within HR of HYBE, but then later on, she introduced up this challenge again and accused me with numerous prices to examine out to re-commence an investigation.”
Min adds, “I had been telling HYBE, ‘While you admire to wish to invent an investigation or re-investigation, or not it would possibly well maybe most likely be a in point of fact noteworthy to make it formal and legit by not having any investigating carried out by those enthusiastic in old circumstances. They will rent a third accept together to research, but as an different, they’re going into every other internal investigation by the identical one who in actual fact made the closing resolution.”
The final results of the audit are anticipated in the upcoming days.
HYBE declined to commentary on whether the company has spoken with or plans to keep up a correspondence with NewJeans straight, but Billboard realized that the NewJeans contributors and their folks met ADOR’s novel CEO Ju Young Kim on Sept. 24 to solidify every facet’s field.
No topic the continuing investigation, ADOR shared its resolution on Sept. 25 to allow Min support to the subsidiary as an internal director and producer for NewJeans, but would not honor the depend upon of to reinstate her as its CEO.
“The board has resolved to convene an out of the ordinary shareholders’ assembly to reappoint Min Hee-jin as an internal director,” ADOR mentioned in an legit assertion (per The Korea Herald). “However, the board can’t settle for the depend upon of for her reinstatement as CEO right this moment. Min Hee-jin’s characteristic and authority because the producer for NewJeans are exclusively guaranteed, and extra discussions on explicit phrases will happen in the end.” A consultant for Min told Billboard no such characteristic used to be ever equipped to her.
Min Hee-jin issued a press assertion in Korea rejecting the proposal and requesting again to be reinstated as CEO.
