Former Adore CEO Min Hee-jin lost the fine appeal lawsuit related to workplace harassment. On October 16, the 61st Single Judge of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Jeong Cheol-min) ruled to uphold the fine imposed on Min Hee-jin in the lawsuit she filed against the Seoul Employment and Labor Office. According to this ruling, the fine imposed on Min Hee-jin by the Seoul Western Branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor in March remains in effect.

This case began with a revelation by former Adore employee A. A claimed that in August of last year, she was subjected to workplace harassment by former CEO Min Hee-jin. A also alleged that Min Hee-jin inappropriately intervened in the handling of a sexual harassment case involving executive B. A stated that Min Hee-jin coached B on response strategies to evade the charges. A filed a complaint with the labor authorities, citing mental distress caused by Min Hee-jin's verbal abuse.

The Seoul Employment and Labor Office judged that some of Min Hee-jin's remarks caused physical and mental suffering and could worsen the work environment. Article 76-3 of the Labor Standards Act stipulates that employers who receive or become aware of reports of workplace harassment must promptly conduct an objective investigation to verify the facts. The court recognized that Min Hee-jin committed workplace harassment but failed to objectively investigate it as an employer.

Former CEO Min Hee-jin expressed disagreement with the court's ruling, stating, "The facts before and after the remarks judged as workplace harassment were incorrectly recognized," and added, "I plan to clarify the truth accurately and clear my unjust accusation." However, the court stated, "Min Hee-jin's actions meet the criteria for workplace harassment, and there are no procedural defects in the fine imposition."

Min Hee-jin is currently engaged in legal disputes with HYBE as well. HYBE filed a lawsuit to terminate the shareholder agreement against Min Hee-jin, who in turn filed a lawsuit claiming approximately 26 billion KRW in payment for exercising a put option. Min Hee-jin is also facing damage compensation lawsuits from Belif Lab and Source Music, amounting to about 2 billion KRW and 500 million KRW respectively.

This incident occurred amid growing social interest in workplace harassment. Workplace harassment can seriously affect employees' mental and physical health, and there is increasing demand for legal responses. The case of former CEO Min Hee-jin once again highlights the seriousness of this issue.

The court concluded that the Employment and Labor Office's judgment was reasonable in the fine appeal lawsuit filed by Min Hee-jin. She may proceed with additional legal procedures through lawful objections in the future. The court plans to hold a hearing to listen to the parties' statements and issue a formal trial decision with reasons.

Min Hee-jin's case serves as an opportunity to reconsider the legal standards related to workplace harassment. The legal definition of workplace harassment and the corresponding punishment criteria will need to be continuously discussed going forward.