Min Hee-jin and Belift Lab Clash in Court Over Alleged NewJeans Plagiarism

The legal battle between former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and Belift Lab has taken a new turn as the ₩2 billion (approx. $1.5 million) lawsuit escalates. At the fourth hearing held on November 14 at the Seoul Western District Court, both sides clashed over the controversy surrounding alleged plagiarism between girl groups NewJeans and ILLIT.

Belift Lab claimed Min had premeditated an attack on ILLIT since February 2024, around the time the group’s debut schedule was revealed. They alleged that a senior ADOR executive began planning accusations of chart manipulation as early as February 27, 2024, and that Min later showed a maliciously edited video to a financial analyst during ILLIT’s debut teaser release on March 18, 2024 to provoke a negative report.

Belift Lab further argued that Min sacrificed the newly-debuted and still-growing ILLIT fandom to push HYBE into a corner, aiming to acquire ADOR’s 80% stake at a discounted rate. They claimed she pursued personal gain and exploited the plagiarism angle for a media campaign after being advised by law firm Shin & Kim that a lawsuit would be difficult but public opinion could be swayed.

A particularly contentious point was the alleged “NewJeans Copy Monitoring” document, which Belift claims Min had ADOR staff compile, monitoring not just HYBE’s idols but other rival agencies’ artists. “It reflects Min’s belief that all 4th-gen groups were copying her,” Belift stated.

Belift also raised concerns about Min’s new label, OOAK, arguing that its name and thumbprint logo bear striking similarities to the 50-year-old Canadian craft brand “One of a Kind.” They insisted that similarities in girl group concepts are natural, given limited themes like “innocent” or “girl crush,” and pointed out that NewJeans, too, had been compared to Japanese girl group styling.

Min’s side countered fiercely, accusing the plaintiff of distorting the case’s essence. “This is not a copyright dispute but a case about defamation and obstruction of business,” they said, noting that plagiarism was only briefly mentioned—about five minutes—during Min’s two-hour press conference.

They submitted screenshots of online comments posted right after ILLIT’s debut as evidence, showing that netizens independently drew comparisons to NewJeans. “The terms ‘copy’ and ‘plagiarism’ reflect public opinion and aren’t falsehoods,” they argued.

Min’s legal team further claimed that their criticisms were based on ILLIT using choreography nearly identical to NewJeans’, damaging the latter’s image. They defended Min’s remarks as necessary to protect her agency’s artists while still serving as ADOR CEO.

Regarding KakaoTalk conversations submitted by Belift, Min’s team clarified these were internal reviews of public response post-ILLIT debut, not evidence of a planned attack. “Belift is using private chats to paint a malicious narrative and damage Min’s reputation,” they said.

Belift detailed the damages they claim followed Min’s press conference: album production halted due to plummeting sales, cancellations of photo shoots and ad campaigns, and members subjected to online abuse. “They were left asking, ‘What did we do to deserve this?’” Belift stated.

However, Min’s side rebutted that these were vague and speculative expectations, not concrete losses. They argued that negative buzz around ILLIT already existed from debut day, with keywords like “plagiarism” and “controversy” appearing in search trends between March 25, 2024 and April 21, 2024—prior to Min’s public comments.

The court asked whether Min’s press conference was a strategic move to seize control of ADOR. Belift responded that while they couldn’t confirm a specific takeover plan, the intention to manipulate public opinion was evident. When the court pressed whether damage to ILLIT’s reputation justified HYBE relinquishing ADOR shares, Belift said that such plagiarism controversies can cause severe industry fallout, which Min likely leveraged to gain negotiation power.

The lawsuit was initially filed by Belift Lab in June 2024, demanding ₩2 billion in damages. Min Hee-jin countersued in November the same year for ₩5 billion. The next hearing is scheduled for January 9, 2026.

Sources: Daum

Related Articles