Min Hee-jin 'actively tried to cover up' sexual harassment case, victim alleges

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Min Hee-jin 'actively tried to cover up' sexual harassment case, victim alleges

Published: 09 Aug. 2024, 13:00 Updated: 09 Aug. 2024, 13:10

ADOR producer Min Hee-jin [YONHAP]

Min Hee-jin "actively tried to cover up" a sexual harassment case within her company earlier this year, the victim alleged Thursday on her Instagram account.

Last month, local media outlet Dispatch reported that Min, the CEO of ADOR, sided with a male executive in a sexual harassment case filed by a former employee in March this year. The report also stated that Min allegedly berated the female staff member for making the complaint. Min's attorneys denied these accusations, claiming that Min made every effort to hear both sides of the story.

The employee who filed the sexual harassment complaint resigned from the company on March 21.

“I feel fearful right now as I am writing this," the employee's post read. "But I couldn't stand by idly as numerous lies were being told repeatedly."

According to the post, the employee experienced bullying and abuse during her time at ADOR, leading her to file the harassment complaint on March 6. She received the results of the investigation on March 16 and resigned five days later.

The executive allegedly made sexist comments, such as stating that “eating with young women is better than just eating with men,” according to the employee. He also allegedly assigned work on weekends and holidays and criticized the employee for responding “too quickly” to his texts, claiming it caused him “confusion.”

HYBE, ADOR’s parent company, closed the case without imposing any disciplinary measures, instructing Min only to give the executive "a firm warning," which, according to the employee, Min refused to do.

"Instead, she actively defended the executive, insulting me with words like 'crazy [expletive]' and 'life is real, little dick,'" said the employee. "Instead of checking the facts and pointing out the problems, it is sad to think that she framed me as a 'bum who left after being nothing but a nuisance' to neutralize my complaints when I had been a loyal employee."

The employee also accused Min of sharing the details of her complaint with the executive from the beginning and of helping him draft explanations and defenses for his actions.

Min also allegedly edited out certain parts of KakaoTalk chat logs that were later released to the press, without the employee’s consent, according to the employee.

“Can you really say you were a neutral mediator?” said the employee in the post, directly addressing the ADOR CEO.

The post also claimed that Min repeatedly placed the executive in close proximity to the employee, creating a hostile work environment. Despite the employee's requests for these incidents to stop, they were not addressed.

“I am waiting for a heartfelt apology from Min and the executive,” the employee said. “Correct the misinformation and clarify the details. If you claim this post is a lie too, I will take further action to reveal the truth.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]