[Exclusive] New Jeans Manager Claims “Adore Illegal Detention”… Ministry of Employment and Labor Concludes ‘Not Guilty’ Again

After NewJeans unilaterally terminated their exclusive contract, Advertiser A was individually contacted, confined, and asked to surrender her personal phone. In response, A filed a complaint for "workplace bullying" with the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

ADOR stated, “This is a serious act of contractual misconduct that assisted the artist in violating their exclusive contract.”

The Ministry of Employment and Labor ruled in ADOR’s favor, stating, “No evidence of wrongdoing was found in the materials submitted by the complainant.” The Ministry further clarified that a complaint refers to an official request made by a citizen to the government or a public institution for intervention.

Background of the Dispute

Person A was responsible for managing advertiser relations following NewJeans’ termination of their independent contract in November—a move that bypassed ADOR (a subsidiary of HYBE). Since ADOR maintained that the contract was still valid, they viewed A’s actions as contractual misconduct and launched an internal audit. Person A, however, labeled this as workplace bullying and filed a complaint against CEO Kim with the Ministry of Employment and Labor in December.

Ministry’s Verdict: “Unable to Confirm Workplace Bullying”

According to industry sources on the 24th, the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office, under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, recently concluded its investigation into A’s complaint against CEO Kim, determining that there was no evidence of wrongdoing and officially closing the case as an “administrative closure (not guilty).” The Ministry ruled that the materials provided by the complainant were insufficient to substantiate claims of workplace bullying.

Last December, A alleged through media interviews that ADOR misled her into a meeting under false pretenses, illegally confined her for approximately three hours, and forced her to surrender her personal phone—actions she classified as workplace bullying. She subsequently filed an official complaint against CEO Kim with the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

NewJeans’ Statement on Workplace Conditions

Prior to this, the members of NewJeans issued a public statement, saying:

“We witnessed managers and performance directors (Purdy) who assisted with our schedules being severely mistreated by ADOR and HYBE—having their laptops confiscated, being interrogated without prior notice, and even breaking down in tears. We cannot accept this kind of treatment toward staff members still fulfilling their duties.”

ADOR’s Defense: "Contractual Misconduct, Not Workplace Bullying"

In response, ADOR defended its actions, stating:

“An artist management employee (Person A) directly contacted an advertiser and encouraged the artist and brand to sign a direct contract, bypassing the company. The employee themselves admitted to engaging in this communication. This constitutes a serious contractual violation that facilitated the artist in breaching their exclusive agreement.”

ADOR further asserted that, as a result of these actions, Person A was placed on leave, and the company requested the return of company property, including a laptop. They denied allegations of illegal confinement or coercion, stating:

“The company repeatedly requested meetings with the employee to allow them to explain their actions, but the individual refused all opportunities for discussion.”

Some industry observers view the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s ruling as validation of ADOR’s position—that no coercive behavior occurred.

All Workplace Bullying Allegations Dismissed

This is not the only instance where ADOR has been involved in legal disputes. Former Vice President L, whom HYBE considers an ally of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, also filed a workplace bullying complaint against HYBE’s leadership, but this too was dismissed.

In September last year, Vice President L accused five HYBE executives of conducting an illegal audit, including forcibly seizing company assets. However, after a detailed investigation, the Ministry of Employment and Labor ruled there was no wrongdoing.

It is widely believed that L’s complaint was filed under the direction of former CEO Min in an attempt to obstruct HYBE’s reinvestigation into a separate petition concerning sexual harassment and workplace mistreatment allegations against L—filed by a former ADOR employee, B.

Petition by a NewJeans Fan Also Dismissed

A separate petition, filed by a self-identified NewJeans fan, called for an investigation into Hani’s alleged workplace bullying. However, authorities dismissed the petition on the grounds that Hani does not fall under the definition of a "worker" according to the Labor Standards Act.

The Ministry explained that, due to the nature of artist management contracts, it was difficult to establish an employer-employee relationship, as artists and their agencies operate as independent contractual entities.

source: https://n.news.naver.com/article/366/0001056158