[Exclusive] 'ADOR Accusation' NewJeans Manager A: "They tested me with a lie about CCTV, then threatened to call my parents" (Interview)
"They told me to come into the office to discuss work but then suddenly accused me of misconduct."
Manager A, who has accused ADOR and CEO Joo-young Kim of workplace harassment, refuted ADOR's claims that they had committed misconduct, calling it a lie.
During an interview with Ilgan Sports late in the evening on the 10th, A said, "On the 3rd, after returning to Korea from NewJeans' schedule in Japan, I was called to the office under the pretense of discussing an inquiry from a reporter. Once there, after a brief conversation, they suddenly started interrogating me, asking if I had contacted advertisers directly," recounting the events of that day.
Earlier that afternoon, A had filed a complaint against ADOR and CEO Joo-young Kim with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, alleging workplace harassment. A claimed that ADOR had lured them in under the guise of a work meeting, only to suddenly present a suspension notice, demand the immediate return of their work laptop, and, despite requests to leave, illegally detained them for about three hours until the laptop was returned.
In their formal complaint, A stated that ADOR had forced them to surrender their personal phone without any legal basis. Despite having already backed up all work-related data to the company's online drive and formatting the laptop to remove personal files, ADOR allegedly began an investigation, citing the formatting itself as grounds for disciplinary action.
In response, ADOR argued, "A directly contacted advertisers, bypassing the company, and urged them to establish direct contracts between the artist and the brand. The manager in question has admitted to this communication. This constitutes serious misconduct, as it supports violations of the artist's exclusive contract."
ADOR continued, "We provided the manager with ample opportunities to explain themselves. However, they made false statements contrary to clear evidence and did not cooperate with the investigation. As a result, we had no choice but to suspend them and demand the return of the company laptop, which is company property. At no point was there any illegal detention or coercion involved." ADOR further claimed, "After the laptop was requested, the manager did not submit it for several hours. Eventually, someone else delivered the laptop to the company, but it had been formatted to the extent that recovery was impossible. This prevented us from determining what data had been deleted during the formatting process. We intend to thoroughly investigate and take any necessary legal action."
Regarding these events, A countered, "After the NewJeans members expressed their intention to terminate their exclusive contracts, they asked me to convey their wishes to advertisers regarding their advertisement-related intentions. Since the members themselves could not directly contact advertisers, I simply communicated their wishes on their behalf, making it clear that these were the members' intentions. There was no misconduct in that process. However, ADOR twisted the situation as if I had engaged in improper behavior, smearing my reputation." A added, "ADOR's claim that I encouraged direct contracts between the artists and brands while excluding the company is entirely false."
A continued, "As soon as the interrogation by CEO Joo-young Kim ended, HYBE's HR team appeared and handed me a suspension notice, demanding the return of my laptop. When I explained that I didn't have the laptop at the time and offered to return it the next day, they pressured me further. Security staff lied, claiming that CCTV footage showed me entering the company with a suitcase, trying to provoke me. Then, they threatened to call my parents to confirm if the laptop was at my house and even suggested accompanying me there to retrieve it."
A explained, "The laptop contained my personal information, so I backed up all company data and formatted it before submitting it. I also confirmed with ADOR that the backup was complete. Still, I was detained for about three hours and not allowed to leave. After finally submitting the laptop and leaving in exhaustion, CEO Kim demanded that I also hand over my personal phone. I refused, asking why I had to surrender my personal device."
A remarked, "They said they would suspend me, so I stated that I would rather resign than accept such unfair treatment. They then told me that even if I submitted my resignation, it would not take effect until 30 days later unless the company accepted it. They insisted that I participate in their investigation into the alleged misconduct."
A continued, "Later, I saw news that HYBE had even confiscated the laptops of junior managers. I also heard that some of my colleagues were so devastated that they cried. I couldn't endure it any longer, so I filed the complaint against them for workplace harassment."
Reflecting on their work, A said, "Even if conflicts arise between the company and the members, the manager's job doesn't disappear. During such times, I focused on the schedule and encouraged other managers and staff to remain diligent and professional. When external vendors asked where they should deposit guarantees, I told them to send them to ADOR. To now be accused of misconduct and wrongdoing is infuriating beyond words."
