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On January 10, 2025, South Korean media outlet Star News reported that Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR, submitted 1,000 pages of evidence during the initial court hearing in her legal battle with HYBE, Belift Lab, and Source Music. The lawsuits involve claims of damages totaling 2.5 billion won, stemming from allegations of plagiarism, defamation, and interference with business operations.
Belift Lab, representing the group ILLIT, and Source Music, the agency behind LE SSERAFIM, filed separate lawsuits against ADOR (another HYBE subsidiary) Min Hee-jin. The first hearing for Belift Lab's 2 billion won claim and Source Music's 500 million won claim took place at the Seoul Western District Court.
Both hearings focused on disputes surrounding the creative processes and alleged mismanagement of idol groups.
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Central to the dispute are accusations from Min Hee-jin that concepts and branding strategies for Belift Lab's artist, ILLIT, bear resemblance to the work she did for NewJeans under ADOR. For those unaware, Min Hee-jin previously alleged that ILLIT's teaser photos led to public confusion, with many online users mistakenly associating the concept with New Jeans.
Belift Lab denied these accusations, asserting that their strategies were finalized months before any alleged leaks and labeling Hee-jin’s statements as false and damaging. Belift Lab argued that Hee-jin’s remarks caused significant harm to their business, including reduced album sales, a decline in advertising contracts, and damage to the group’s reputation.
More about the recent updates on the legal battle surrounding Min Hee-jin and HYBE's subsidiary labels
Belift Labs's legal representatives maintained that Min Hee-jin’s comments went beyond mere opinion and amounted to defamatory falsehoods. Conversely, Hee-jin’s legal team argued that her statements were intended to address broader issues in the K-pop industry, emphasizing the importance of transparency and fairness. The label stated,
"The branding strategy and concept of ILLIT were finalized and shared internally on July 21, 2023. The informant sent the so-called plan after that, on August 28, 2023, so it cannot have influenced ILLIT's concept at that point in time. We have filed a complaint for obstruction of business and defamation against CEO Min Hee-jin, who is causing damage by unilaterally making false claims against our company and ILLIT."
Further complicating matters, Source Music alleged that Hee-jin delayed the debut of LE SSERAFIM while prioritizing her work on NewJeans, a claim her legal team refuted. They also highlighted Hee-jin’s pivotal role in conceptualizing and preparing NewJeans, stating that her recruitment by Bang Si-hyuk in 2019 was crucial to the group’s formation. They stated,
"New Jeans was born when Chairman Bang Si-hyuk said he couldn't do it and left the work to CEO Min Hee-jin. The overall concept of the group New Jeans was planned by CEO Min Hee-jin, and the members were decided based on her choices. It doesn't make sense to say that Source Music auditioned and cast them."
According to Hee-jin’s attorneys, she developed the group’s creative vision, selected the members, and shaped their identity, dismissing Source Music’s claims of having cast the members.
Hee-jin also countered with accusations against Belift Lab and HYBE, alleging mismanagement, unfair practices, and attempts to seize control of ADOR’s operations. Her legal team framed the lawsuits as retaliatory and aimed at silencing her criticism of systemic issues within the industry. They further argued that her actions were in the public interest and did not constitute defamation.
The hearing saw extensive discussions on the evidence provided by both parties, including the defendant’s 1,000 pages of supporting documents. The court plans to proceed with detailed presentations from both sides during subsequent hearings, focusing on choreography, branding, and concept overlaps.
As the case unfolds, it is expected to set a precedent for how creative disputes and allegations of defamation are handled within the highly competitive world of Korean entertainment.
