Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has lost her challenge against a fine over workplace bullying, as a Seoul court sided with labor authorities in a case that began with explosive claims from a former employee.

The Seoul Western District Court ruled in favor of the government on Thursday in a case filed by Min, who had contested a fine imposed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s Seoul Western District Office. The ruling effectively validates the legitimacy of the penalty and leaves it in place.

Min’s legal team acknowledged that some elements of the decision were accepted by the court, but maintained that both the legal interpretation and factual determinations contained errors. They indicated plans to challenge the ruling through a formal trial.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by a former ADOR employee, who alleged they were harassed by an associate of Min. The complainant also claimed that when the matter was reported to HYBE, Min attempted to cover it up and verbally abused the employee. The allegations led to an investigation and disciplinary action by labor authorities.

Following its probe, the Labor Ministry’s Seoul Western District Office concluded that Min had engaged in workplace bullying and had failed in her responsibility as an employer to conduct an "immediate and objective investigation," as required under labor law. A fine was subsequently imposed, though the exact amount has not been disclosed.

Under Korea’s Labor Standards Act, employers found to have committed workplace bullying may be fined up to 10 million won ($7,000). Failing to promptly and impartially investigate such incidents can result in an additional fine of up to 5 million won.

Min has denied the allegations and formally contested the fine in April.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]