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Min Hee-jin Court Hearing July 2025: HYBE Subsidiaries Seek $1.8M in Damages Over NewJeans Plagiarism Claims

by Hannah / Jul 18, 2025 01:01 PM EDT
Min Hee-Jin (Captured from Wikipedia)

Former ADOR CEO faces third hearing in K-pop industry's biggest legal battle after police dropped criminal charges

On July 18, Seoul Western District Court held the third hearing in damages lawsuits filed by HYBE subsidiaries against former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, seeking ₩2.5 billion ($1.8 million) total in compensation.

Min Hee-jin's legal team presented online comments from platforms like Theqoo and Instiz showing users accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans before Min made any public statements. Her lawyers argued "the plagiarism controversy was not initiated by them but rather raised by the public, media, and industry insiders shortly after ILLIT's debut".

The defense claimed "the issue of ILLIT copying NewJeans was first raised internally within HYBE. However, in response, HYBE conducted an illegal audit. The press conference and public statements that followed were made in a defensive effort to reveal the true motive behind HYBE's audit".

Belift Lab's Case: ILLIT's agency filed a ₩2 billion ($1.4 million) lawsuit claiming Min Hee-jin caused "reputational damage and financial harm by accusing the agency's girl group ILLIT of plagiarizing NewJeans' choreography, concept, and overall aesthetic".

Source Music's Case: LE SSERAFIM's agency filed a ₩500 million ($362,000) lawsuit claiming Min "defamed the company by stating at a press conference in April 2024 that HYBE prevented NewJeans from being promoted until after Le Sserafim's debut".

On July 15, Seoul Yongsan Police cleared Min Hee-jin of breach of trust charges filed by HYBE, concluding "no suspicion of a crime" after a year-long investigation. HYBE immediately filed an objection, stating "new developments have occurred since the investigation, including the NewJeans members' declarations to terminate their contracts".

The conflict began in April 2024 when Min Hee-jin publicly accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans' concept. Belift Lab claims "ILLIT's concept and branding focus on real teenagers, contrasting with NewJeans' Y2K nostalgia theme" and states "no interaction or exchange of ideas occurred between the two groups".

Min Hee-jin filed a counter-lawsuit seeking ₩5 billion ($3.47 million) in damages from Belift Lab, escalating the legal battle between the former ADOR CEO and HYBE's entertainment empire.

The Source Music hearing was postponed to August 22. Additional civil lawsuits between HYBE and Min Hee-jin continue as the police decision contrasts with ongoing court battles.

This case represents one of K-pop's most significant legal disputes, involving plagiarism allegations, corporate control, and the future of global superstars NewJeans in an industry worth billions.

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