🔗 [Exclusive Interview] ADOR Vice President ‘A’ Speaks Out: “I Did Not Commit Sexual Harassment”

Q: You were called “Min Hee-jin’s right-hand man”?

A: I joined on February 1st of this year, so how could I be her right-hand man? Even when I worked at HYBE, I only saw CEO Min Hee-jin two or three times in meetings and didn’t know her well. The term “right-hand man” has been used since the articles about the usurpation of management rights came out, and it is absurd that they keep targeting me. Even yesterday, strange articles with false facts were published, claiming “Min Hee-jin’s right-hand man, Vice President A, was promised 3 billion KRW” or that I “changed my words.”
When I was being audited by HYBE, they actually asked me, “How long have you known CEO Min Hee-jin that you would bet your life on her?” They know very well that I am not her right-hand man, yet seeing them create this frame, I feel a clear intent, which is scary.

Q: What did you do during your tenure at HYBE, and why did you move to ADOR?

A: I worked in HYBE Finance for 4 years. However, while working at HYBE, I collapsed with symptoms of panic disorder due to pressure from a superior and was taken away in an ambulance. That incident became a shock, so I decided to resign. Amidst that, I heard news that ADOR was hiring one more Vice President, so I moved early this year through a recommendation from an acquaintance. I thought I could experience practical label operations. However, I cannot believe that the place where I worked longer is attacking me like this, and it is incredibly painful.

Q: Let’s talk about the sexual harassment allegation. Ms. B pointed to A as the perpetrator.

A: I have never committed sexual harassment. Ms. B claims she felt sexual discomfort because I requested her attendance at an unwanted drinking gathering citing the reason that she was a “young female” person in charge, but I never used such an expression. Also, that gathering was a business setting. As the “person in charge of that task,” there was a clear agenda to discuss with Ms. B, such as feedback on the event, mid-to-long-term plans, and partnerships.

Q: Please recount the events of that day.

A: The plan was to “eat and then look around the store.” The advertiser booked the restaurant, but the Chinese restaurant was fully booked, so it was changed to an Izakaya. I told Ms. B in advance that I had to leave early, and gave her the decision-making power among: <1. End the gathering together, 2. Finish the meal and then end it, 3. Look around the store after the meal and then end it>. I was very flustered to be pointed out as a sexual harassment perpetrator coinciding suddenly with Ms. B’s resignation.

Q: Is there any content you received in writing from HYBE HR regarding the sexual harassment case?

A: The decision was that it is difficult to judge it as workplace sexual harassment.

Q: What about the investigation result on workplace bullying?

A: The result was that this, too, is difficult to establish.

Q: Ms. B claims that only Vice President A gave her a poor evaluation, so the claims regarding the evaluation result are conflicting.

A: There are two evaluations during the 6-month probationary period. There are two evaluations in 3-month units, and when I joined, Ms. B’s interim evaluation result was already out. It was a below-passing score.

Q: It is said you offered a different job to Ms. B who had resigned.

A: When CEO Min Hee-jin recommended reconciliation, I wanted to resolve it as best as I could. So, since I might be uncomfortable for her, I found work she could do well away from me and made a proposal to Ms. B. Ms. B said she would review it positively, but ultimately declined.

Q: You said you did nothing wrong to Ms. B, so why did you recently send an apology text?

A: As I reflected on my communication methods, I sent it to comfort a subordinate as a boss at one time. Also, I was in so much pain from being the subject of unwanted gossip. So I thought Ms. B would also be in pain, and I contacted her out of moral obligation.

Q: Articles poured out saying “The apology was cancelled.” Did you cancel it?

A: As I said, the original intent of the apology was clearly not that. I never admitted [to the charges]. But I was so flustered because articles poured out saying I admitted to most of the charges. I explained that I was not acknowledging the charges because the meaning of the apology was not that in the first place. The next day, Ms. B cleverly blurred that and distorted it as “apology cancelled.”

Q: Are you considering legal action against Ms. B?

A: Overnight, labels like “workplace bullying perpetrator” and “sexual harassment perpetrator” were attached to me. Being perplexed, I requested Ms. B to “please take down the Instagram post” and “please correct the erroneous articles,” but she replied, “Why are you trying to gag me?” and “Don’t tell me what to do; take whatever measures you want.” I felt that I had to file a lawsuit to clear the charges completely.

Q: It is said Ms. B filed 11 additional reports of workplace bullying this time.

A: Yes. I heard she filed 7 cases before resignation and 11 cases after resignation. I thought it was too excessive. I am only a Vice President by title; I am a regular member like Ms. B, not a registered director. I, too, can raise issues. I suffered a lot as well.

Q: Please tell us in detail. What is the content?

A: In a situation where salary adjustment was needed, I transparently said, “Adjustment is necessary. You are receiving even more than I am.” Then, I was hurt by her rudeness in asking back, “Why do you receive so little?” Also, regarding the KakaoTalk messages she supposedly wrote hundreds of lines of with respect to the CEO, I cannot forget the great shock when I first saw them because they were entirely badmouthing me. She met this person and that person to dig for negative evaluations about me and shared them all intact. I was dumbfounded seeing the content of such lengthy malicious comments. I truly didn’t know she would speak of me like that behind my back while saying she learns a lot and is thankful to me to my face.

Q: This is fatal to your career, so why didn’t you step forward yourself all this time?

A: It was so, so unfair, but I was scared to enter a dispute as a powerless individual. I hadn’t thought about responding to Ms. B even more because the sexual harassment report at the time was proven false, and despite that, it was a matter that ended with reconciliation. But Ms. B appeared and branded me as a sexual harassment perpetrator and workplace bullying perpetrator in an instant. Seeing her casually make claims different from the facts when I had not admitted to them, I could no longer endure it. False accusation is a truly serious crime that ruins a person’s life. The victim is not Ms. B, but me.

Q: Is there anything you want to say to Ms. B?

A: I have more questions than things I want to say. If she truly thinks she was sexually harassed and bullied at work by me, she should have sued or reported it; why post it on SNS? She said the purpose was an apology after opening Instagram, but what is the intention behind filing 11 additional reports even though the past reported cases concluded with no charges? Why attack with fake information? And how come so many articles come out whenever she posts something? It is so different from my common sense or past experiences that I want to ask.

Q: Any final words?

A: I wish talk of my KakaoTalks would stop coming out. I am also sick of fake news. Currently, my KakaoTalks are being reconstructed and used like a novel in most matters. It is illegal leakage, yet the situation where a large conglomerate attacks me in this manner is too scary.

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Regarding this report, the party involved, Ms. B, demanded a rebuttal and correction, stating, “The content of the report differs from the facts.”

Regarding KakaoTalk Conversations
“Executive A, who swore he never committed sexual harassment, admitted in a KakaoTalk with CEO Min Hee-jin, saying ‘Still, honestly, it’s better to see together than for two men to see each other awkwardly.’ As confirmed in Ministry of Employment and Labor data, this is clearly an inappropriate remark.”

Regarding HYBE HR Results
“Executive A is cleverly splicing the HYBE HR results.” “The HYBE HR department did not recognize it as sexual harassment because the two sides’ statements differed regarding the remark, but they judged it as an inappropriate act that could cause misunderstandings and recommended that caution is needed to prevent the recurrence of such acts.”

Regarding Workplace Bullying
“Also, regarding workplace bullying, it was judged difficult to establish, but considering the role and attitude as a VP, it was acknowledged as inappropriate communication, and the company judged that a warning to the Representative Director [CEO] was necessary to raise awareness.”

Regarding Cancelled Apology
“I understood it as A cancelling the broad acknowledgment and apology. In fact, Executive A sent messages to Ms. B saying, ‘I cannot stand seeing you not just using but abusing my texts,’ ‘Are you kidding me right now??’ ‘Are you planning to post on Insta again?’ and ‘I have no choice but to take measures now,’ creating a situation where it was difficult for Ms. B to understand it otherwise.”

Regarding Job Proposal
“Executive A holds the authority to evaluate position holders as a Vice President and knew salary information, which is personal information. Therefore, a hierarchy clearly exists, and he cannot be dismissed as a regular member. In reality, Executive A was the direct supervisor evaluating Ms. B.”

Regarding Badmouthing Vice President A
“The content referred to as ‘badmouthing’ was actually updates on work situations and explanations about organizational members who were suffering.”

Regarding Vice President A’s Remark on ‘Individual vs. Conglomerate Problem’
“Executive A refers to himself as an individual and refers to the opponent as a conglomerate, but in fact, it is Executive A who is receiving support from the conglomerate called ADOR.”