Belift Lab, the agency of the group ILY:1 under HYBE Labels, and Source Music, the agency of LE SSERAFIM, have started a legal dispute with former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin.
On the afternoon of the 10th, the first hearing for a 2 billion won damage compensation lawsuit filed by Belift Lab against former CEO Min was held at the 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Jin-young). The first hearing for a 500 million won damage compensation lawsuit filed by Source Music against former CEO Min also followed. Former CEO Min did not attend the trial in person, and both parties' legal teams were present.
Former CEO Min has been in conflict with HYBE since April last year over allegations of 'management rights usurpation' at Ador. HYBE initiated an audit, claiming that the management led by former CEO Min attempted to 'usurp management rights', while former CEO Min argued that it was retaliation for raising issues about ILY:1, a group under Belift Lab, copying the concept of NewJeans, a group under Ador.
In response, Belift Lab refuted the claims as baseless and filed a lawsuit against former CEO Min for obstruction of business and defamation. Former CEO Min also countered by suing Belift Lab's CEO Kim Tae-ho and other executives for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, filing a lawsuit seeking 5 billion won in damages.
Belift Lab's lawyer claimed, "The defendant targeted ILY:1, which debuted not long ago, and made statements that caused significant harm, regardless of their truth."
Referring to the 'similarity of choreography' as 'taekwondo patterns', Belift Lab's lawyer stated, "There are established patterns, and the evaluation can vary depending on where the performer applies tension. It is very natural in the industry for girl group choreography to have similar movements repeated," and added, "It is important to appeal to consumers by showcasing each group's individuality, but the defendant absurdly claims that those movements are theirs."
"Illegal activities should not be repeated, so I believe this matter needs to be corrected," asserted Belift Lab's lawyer, emphasizing that "the defendant's malice is evident as they used a very malicious method to attack other groups through internal promotional methods."
In response, Min Hee-jin's lawyer stated regarding Belift Lab's 'targeting', "We see it as an objective fact. ILY:1 debuted 8 months after NewJeans, and from the moment ILY:1 debuted, allegations of plagiarism have continuously been raised by the public," and added, "The defendant sent emails to resolve the issue internally, but there was an illegal audit by HYBE. The defendant brought this issue to public attention."
"The court will likely be confused about who is ILY:1 and who is NewJeans when reviewing the materials," said Min Hee-jin's lawyer, stating, "It is claimed that the defendant's plan was disclosed before the plaintiff's plan was completed. Considering various circumstances, raising objections as the representative of NewJeans is for the public good and should not be considered defamation."
In response, Belift Lab's lawyer stated, "The defendant actually sought out a target for attack with impure motives. They targeted a girl group that had not yet formed a fandom and could become a potential competitor. The defendant made their claims through anonymous comments that suited their taste," and added, "NewJeans also faced plagiarism allegations regarding the song 'Bubblegum'."
In this regard, the judge stated, "Ultimately, we need to see whether the defendant made statements of fact and what the criteria for judgment should be (experts or the public)," and concluded, "There needs to be a resolution from both sides."
After the first hearing with Belift Lab concluded, the first hearing for the damage compensation lawsuit filed by Source Music against former CEO Min was held. Source Music claimed that the allegations that former CEO Min directly cast NewJeans members and that Source Music neglected them were false, seeking damages of over 500 million won.
"The defendant made baseless statements during a press conference that the entire nation could watch and made insulting remarks," emphasized Source Music's lawyer, stating, "There could be various issues, but we looked at whether it constituted falsehood. NewJeans was cast and trained for several years, and Palm Hani was cast through a global audition. The defendant was not the subject of casting during the audition process; it was conducted by HYBE," and added, "Looking at the circumstances of the debut, the work the defendant was involved in was branding, but there were instances where they delayed the set deadlines."
Min Hee-jin's lawyer stated, "The process of NewJeans' birth began in 2019 when Chairman Bang Si-hyuk brought in Min Hee-jin. Chairman Bang said he could not do it himself and entrusted it to Min Hee-jin, leading to the birth of NewJeans," and added, "The overall concept of the group NewJeans was planned by Min Hee-jin, and the members were decided based on her choices. It does not make sense to say that Source Music held auditions and cast them."
He continued, "Internally, they were already preparing for the launch of LE SSERAFIM and debuted them first. What would the NewJeans members and their parents, who expected to debut first, feel? After LE SSERAFIM debuted, it was difficult for NewJeans to debut immediately, and Min Hee-jin brought the NewJeans members to Ador to debut," and added, "Min Hee-jin raised issues regarding unfair operational practices. To preserve the value of the NewJeans group and for the K-pop ecosystem that imitates them, Min Hee-jin filed civil and criminal lawsuits. I believe this is not an attempt to silence or retaliate against her. For us, it is absolutely not defamation."
In this regard, the defendant presented evidence totaling 1,000 pages, including the actual statements made by the defendant. Both sides plan to proceed with the trial in a presentation format at the next hearing.
Meanwhile, former CEO Min declared a complete separation from HYBE after resigning from her position as an inside director in November last year, and NewJeans held a press conference on November 29 last year, stating that they were no longer under Ador and have continued their independent activities after fulfilling their scheduled commitments.
In response, Ador has filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contracts with the members, claiming that the contracts are still valid.
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
