On February 24(KST), according to a report by Chosun Biz, the Seoul Regional Office of Employment and Labor under the Ministry of Employment and Labor concluded the case brought by former Ador employee A regarding Ador CEO Kim Joo-young as “administratively closed (no charges),” stating that the submitted evidence was insufficient to determine workplace harassment.

A, who is known to have contacted advertisers excluding Ador after NJZ independently declared contract termination, was investigated by Ador for actions deemed insubordinate since the contract was still valid.

A subsequently filed a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, claiming that workplace harassment occurred during the internal audit process. 

In a media interview, A alleged that Ador lured him under the guise of work consultation, then issued a waiting order and demanded that he immediately return his laptop. A also claimed that, despite his request to leave, it took approximately three hours for the laptop to be returned, amounting to illegal detention.

Furthermore, A asserted that he was forced to submit his personal cellphone without any legal basis, and when he backed up work-related materials online (via the company drive) and formatted his laptop because it contained only personal files, Ador initiated an investigation with the intent to discipline him.

Previously, NJZ also stated, “Managers who assist with scheduling and performance directors were subjected to severe harassment by having their laptops taken away by Ador and HYBE and being unexpectedly summoned for investigations. We find such actions extremely hard to understand.”

In response, Ador claimed that they had provided A with an opportunity to explain the actions deemed insubordinate, but he refused all interviews. They also refuted the claims of coercive acts, such as illegal detention, asserting that A had formatted the company-issued laptop in a way that rendered data recovery impossible.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor had earlier also administratively closed a complaint filed by a former Ador vice president who claimed workplace harassment by HYBE management, as well as a petition from NJZ fans demanding an investigation into Hani’s alleged workplace harassment. 

In the case of Hani’s petition, the ministry found it difficult to classify Hani as an employee under the Labor Standards Act, interpreting the relationship as one between equal contracting parties fulfilling their contractual obligations.

With three complaints to the Ministry of Employment and Labor all resulting in no charges, NJZ and Ador now face a full-fledged legal battle. On March 7, a preliminary injunction hearing will be held regarding the preservation of the agency's status and the signing of advertising contracts against five members by Ador. The first trial date for the validity confirmation lawsuit regarding the exclusive contract is scheduled for April 3.

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