Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has seen a wave of legal victories against malicious commenters, with recent rulings ordering several individuals to pay compensation for defamatory remarks.
According to court documents obtained on September 10, Min Hee-jin has filed lawsuits against 19 people, and so far, 13 have been ordered to compensate her, while 6 cases were dismissed. This brings her success rate to about 70%.
In the latest ruling, the Seoul Western District Court’s Civil Division 22, presided by Judge Kim Han-cheol, ordered eight defendants to pay damages. Four were ordered to pay 300,000 KRW each, while the remaining four must pay 200,000 KRW each. However, the court also ruled that Min Hee-jin should bear 90% of the litigation costs.
The comments in question were posted between May and June of last year, during Min Hee-jin’s high-profile management dispute with HYBE. At the time, she publicly stated in interviews that she had never attempted to take NewJeans out of the company, but her denial was met with online hostility.
Min Hee-jin’s legal team argued that the comments were “insulting and damaging to her honor, causing significant mental distress.” They initially sought 300,000 KRW per person in compensation, but the court settled on lower amounts.
The court acknowledged that the remarks constituted “defamatory and insulting expressions likely to damage Min Hee-jin’s social reputation,” adding that “it is evident she experienced emotional suffering as a result.”
Among the comments that resulted in the highest compensation (300,000 KRW) were:
- “She’s a paranoid patient.”
- “Still defending this psycho liar?”
- “A greedy, ugly person. This is why you shouldn’t do business with women.”
- “A foul-mouthed thug.”
Meanwhile, some comments such as “cunning person” or “you meet people like this in life” were dismissed as insufficient to qualify as defamation.
As of now, all three of Min Hee-jin’s lawsuits have concluded, with rulings finalized. In total, damages awarded per individual ranged from 50,000 to 300,000 KRW.
ADOR, under HYBE Music, dismissed Min Hee-jin from her CEO position in August 2024. The label recently appointed Lee Do-kyung as its new CEO following the controversy.
Sources: Daum
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