HYBE is facing serious scrutiny following a recent audit that raised allegations of workplace misconduct and a cover-up related to an employee’s tragic death due to overwork. The audit, held on October 15, 2024, saw Ju Young Kim, the new CEO of ADOR, in the spotlight, particularly as NewJeans member Hanni voiced concerns about workplace bullying.
Audit Raises Serious Questions
During the audit, Ju Young Kim was questioned about a significant incident from 2022 involving an employee who died after fainting at work. This case had only come to light during the recent investigations, raising alarms about the company’s transparency and ethical practices.
An official at the audit inquired about the circumstances surrounding the employee’s death, revealing,
“We received a tip-off that in 2022, an employee of HYBE had fainted in the office and was brought to the hospital where they passed away. Is that true?”
In response, Ju Young Kim confirmed the incident, stating that the employee had indeed fainted and later succumbed to a personal illness. He provided the following account:
“Yes, from what I know, in September 2022, an employee went to the break room around 5 PM, saying they would take a rest. Unfortunately, they passed out, and we found them in the break room and moved them to the hospital. They passed away a few days later due to their personal illness. It’s an unfortunate case.”
Counterarguments and Allegations of Cover-Up
However, this assertion was met with skepticism. The official present at the audit challenged Ju Young Kim’s claims, asserting that HYBE had not reported the death in compliance with legal requirements concerning accidental workplace incidents. The official argued:
“Personal illness, you say? Well, all of the officials here think that it is overwork. Back then, HYBE was expanding its label system, and workers had to take care of multiple artists simultaneously, going for overseas schedules at the same time. There were many cases like this with your workers where they had to work all day and all night. I checked with the Korea Workers’ Welfare Organization, and there was no application for accidental workplace incidents. You claim that it was due to their personal illness, but we think you should’ve checked on the problem, and we deem it due to overwork. We want to ask if the company tried to conceal the death through overwork.”
Ju Young Kim vehemently denied any attempts to conceal the circumstances surrounding the employee’s death. He further noted that an autopsy was not performed due to the decision made by the worker’s parents. This response was met with criticism, with the official countering:
“This is how concealment works, by working with the bereaved.”
Conclusion of the Audit
The audit concluded with the official requesting detailed documentation from HYBE regarding the incident. As of now, HYBE has not issued any additional statements addressing the allegations or the demands for further clarification. The situation has sparked widespread discussion about workplace conditions in the entertainment industry and the pressures faced by employees, particularly within fast-paced organizations like HYBE.
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