The Seoul Western District Court has just issued a verdict related to the civil lawsuit filed by former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin against those who left insulting comments online in the context of a dispute with HYBE.
Accordingly, one of the three defendants was forced to pay a minimum of VND300,000 (about $215) for calling Ms. Min Hee Jin a profound foodie. The court determined that this was an insult to the individual in a superior manner, exceeding the limits of freedom of speech. Meanwhile, the remaining two defendants were not required to pay compensation due to insufficient legal basis.
Previously, Min Hee Jin demanded that each defendant pay 3 million won (about $2,152), citing that malicious comments had caused serious mental damage. Initially, she filed a lawsuit against 11 individuals but later withdrew most of it, keeping only 3 individuals.
The trial began in April 2024, when Ms. Min had a conflict with HYBE over ADOR's management rights and held two press conferences to attract public attention. Her straightforward and emotional way of speaking also led to a wave of online criticism. Among the statements considered, the court found that some of the defendants' comments did not constitute illegal defamation in the context of the case.
This is not the first time Ms. Min has won a lawsuit against malicious commentators. In March, she was awarded between 50,000 won and 100,000 won in another case involving those who used insulting words against her.
In August 2024, Ms. Min was officially dismissed from the position of CEO of ADOR. In early August 2025, the company appointed Lee Do Kyung to a new executive position.
