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The second hearing in the damages lawsuit filed by Source Music against former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has been rescheduled. Initially set for March 14, the hearing will now take place on May 30.
According to South Korean media outlet Daily Sports, on March 13, 2025, the court approved Source Music’s request for a postponement. The delay is reportedly due to the agency’s need for additional preparation.
The lawsuit was filed in July of 2024 by Source Music, the management company under HYBE that manages LE SSERAFIM. They are seeking 500 million KRW (approximately 370,000 USD) in damages from the former CEO of ADOR, Min Hee-jin.
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The lawsuit stems from allegations that Min Hee-jin made false claims about LE SSERAFIM during an emergency press conference in April 2024. During the emergency press conference, according to South Korean media outlet IMBC News Min asserted saying,
"HYBE said they would debut New Jeans as HYBE's first girl group, but they didn't keep their promise. They debuted Le Seraphim first and then didn't allow us to promote New Jeans"
However, she claimed that the agency had debuted LE SSERAFIM first, allegedly delaying NewJeans' activities. Source Music condemned the remarks before filing the lawsuit for 500 million KRW in July of the same year. As per the IMBC news report, Source Music stated,
"We deeply regret the current situation where you are disrespectfully mentioning other artists' real names along with false information and rude expressions in public, and we strongly request that this kind of thing not happen again in the future."
It further stated,
"The act of forming public opinion by presenting false claims and false information that Le Seraphim has harmed other artists as if they were established facts is clearly the spread of false information."
At the first hearing on January 10, 2025, both sides presented opposing views regarding the casting and training process of NewJeans (NJZ) members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. Disagreements over the extent of Source Music’s involvement in their development were also a key point of contention.
Since late April 2024, tensions have risen between HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. The conflict started when Min accused HYBE of replicating NewJeans' concept for another girl group. The dispute continued for months until HYBE officially terminated its association with her on August 27, 2024.
On November 20, Min Hee-jin resigned, citing HYBE’s interference in her leadership and mishandling of internal conflicts, including allegations of concept plagiarism involving BELIFT LAB. Days later, on November 28, NewJeans (NJZ) announced their departure, attributing their decision to a loss of trust and Min’s resignation.
In response, ADOR, a subsidiary under HYBE, took legal action on December 5, filing a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court to validate its exclusive contracts with the group. Amid their legal battle with former label ADOR, NewJeans rebranded as "NJZ" on February 7, 2025.
They are set to debut under the new name at ComplexCon Hong Kong in March, as reported by CNN. On March 7, the first hearing took place regarding ADOR’s injunction request against NewJeans (NJZ) members signing external advertising contracts or being managed by another agency.
Source Music denied accusations that NewJeans was treated unfairly compared to LE SSERAFIM. Notably, despite not being required, all 5 NewJeans (NJZ) members attended the session and actively expressed their stance.
The decision to postpone the damages hearing has sparked speculation. Some believe Min Hee-jin may possess strong evidence that Source Music needs more time to counter. Others suggest the move was strategically timed to avoid legal controversies overshadowing LE SSERAFIM’s comeback with their fifth mini-album HOT, which was released today.
