Min Hee Jin is facing controversy in a high-stakes legal battle over alleged plagiarism. A 2 billion KRW (about $1.45 million) damages lawsuit has been filed by HYBE’s sub-label BELIFT LAB against the former CEO of ADOR.
The third hearing is set for July 18 at the Seoul Western District Court. This was rescheduled from May after a request from the plaintiff. The lawsuit involves claims that BELIFT LAB’s girl group ILLIT copied aspects of NewJeans, the girl group led by Min Hee Jin at ADOR.
During the second hearing in March, the court required both parties to distill their arguments into a maximum of 30 PowerPoint slides.
Today’s presentations will tackle key issues like alleged plagiarism of choreography, project planning documents, and even hanbok-themed concepts.
"Choreography for girl groups often includes similar moves with minor differences. Yet, the defendant pointed out specific moves as hers, effectively promoting her group by attacking another. This shows malicious intent," said BELIFT LAB’s legal representative.
Min Hee Jin’s attorney shot back, claiming, "The plaintiff is appealing to emotion… ILLIT debuted eight months after NewJeans. But plagiarism concerns were raised by the public immediately."
In April, Min Hee Jin accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans’ debut concept and visuals, interpreting an audit from HYBE as retaliation.
Whistleblower claims have also stirred public outcry. An internal source alleged that an ILLIT creative director requested NewJeans’ project plan during ILLIT’s development, asserting, "All the same materials are in court now. They clearly used them—so why keep denying it?"
BELIFT LAB refuted these claims, stating, “ILLIT’s branding and concept were finalized and shared internally on July 21, 2023.”
BELIFT LAB CEO Kim Tae Ho defended ILLIT during a National Assembly hearing last October:
"The claim that ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans is untrue. We have filed a civil lawsuit against Min and are awaiting the court’s judgment."
The drama continues as both camps prepare for today’s hearing. NewJeans, which debuted in July 2022, faces a challenging rivalry with ILLIT, who launched under BELIFT LAB in March 2024.
Stay tuned for updates as this legal showdown unfolds!
