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On January 21, 2025, South Korean media outlet Nate News reported that the claims of Min Hee-jin regarding the debut date of ILLIT were not true. The debut timeline of ILLIT differed from what was stated by Min Hee-jin’s defense attorney amid the NewJeans-HYBE feud.
The former CEO of HYBE’s ADOR accused the parent company of launching the group ILLIT just eight months after NewJeans as a replacement for them, claiming that the new girl group had similar dressing and choreography. The other subsidiary of HYBE handling ILLIT, Belift Lab, was also accused of plagiarising NewJeans' blueprint for the new girl ensemble.
According to the news publication, NewJeans was launched in August 2022, while ILLIT debuted in March 2024. This means that contrary to Min Hee-jin's claim, ILLIT debuted a year and seven months after NewJeans. The publication further concluded that Hee-jin's side has been submitting inaccurate facts to the court since the first hearing.
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Timeline exploring the formation of ILLIT and their debut album amid Min Hee-jin’s allegations
ILLIT, a South Korean girl group engaged with Belift Lab, a subsidiary of HYBE, made its debut on March 25, 2024. Presented below is a comprehensive timeline of Belift Lab’s girl group:
June 30 to September 1, 2023
- ILLIT was founded through the JTBC survival show R U Next? in which 22 participants battled for membership in a new girl group. The final team was unveiled on September 1, 2023, featuring six members who were to make their debut.
January 5, 2024
- Before their public debut, one of the six founding teammates, Youngseo, departed from the band after ending her agreement with Belift Lab. This left ILLIT with five members: Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha.
February 21, 2024
- Belift Lab revealed that ILLIT would make its official debut on March 25, 2024, presenting its first EP.
March 25, 2024
- ILLIT made its musical debut with the introduction of its first EP, Super Real Me, and the lead single Magnetic. This marked their debut in the entertainment sector, with songs like My World, Midnight Fiction, Pimple, Tick-Tack, and Lucky Girl Syndrome showing their distinct pop sound.
More about Min Hee-jin’s plagiarism lawsuit
The plagiarism allegations by NewJeans' executive producer Min Hee-jin pointed out that Belift Lab gained access to NewJeans' blueprint prior to ILLIT's launch. The assertion emerged in October 2024, amid hearings at the Seoul Central District Court. It was an aspect of wider charges concerning proprietary rights and artistic uniqueness between the two factions under the HYBE banner.
Recently, on January 10, 2025, the Seoul Western District Court reportedly held the preliminary hearing for Belift Lab's 2 billion KRW compensation case against Hee-jin. Belift Lab claimed that Min Hee-jin propagated deceptive statements during press appearances, alleging that ILLIT imitated the concept of NewJeans.
Belift Lab further claimed that these allegations negatively impacted ILLIT's social media appearance, sales records, and advertising contracts, resulting in losses amounting to two billion KRW.
