ILLIT’s Agency Denies Plagiarism Allegations, Citing Similarities Between NewJeans and GFriend
On July 18, the latest hearing took place in the ongoing legal battle involving BELIFT LAB and former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. This time, at the Seoul Western District Court’s 12th Civil Division, ILLIT’s agency pushed back hard against Min’s claims that their girl group copied NewJeans. They argued that her accusations didn’t hold up, pointing out contradictions and inconsistencies.
ILLIT’s lawyers presented old materials that drew attention to how NewJeans’ style actually shared similarities with girl group GFriend, who debuted five to six years before NewJeans. They showed how concepts like switching from 16:9 HD to 4:3 low-quality video, wide shots of girls running and crossing bridges, and school uniform-themed music videos were all part of GFriend’s earlier work. This evidence was meant to challenge the idea that ILLIT’s group’s concepts were ripped from NewJeans.
They also brought up examples from GFriend’s past advertisements and photoshoots. This included group shots in dreamy white outfits, hanbok-themed concept photos (which Min Hee Jin had once called unique to NewJeans), and visuals featuring red structures with sea and sky backdrops. ILLIT’s camp stressed that these elements have been around much longer and aren’t exclusive to NewJeans.
“Just as NewJeans is not considered a copy of GFriend, ILLIT should not be called a copy of NewJeans simply because of a few overlapping elements,”
ILLIT’s agency
“Someone with as much experience in the entertainment industry as Min Hee Jin should understand that these similarities are often coincidental and not evidence of deliberate copying.”
ILLIT’s agency
The case is a part of a bigger feud that started last year. Back in April 2023, Min Hee Jin held a press conference outlining her disputes with HYBE executives, including Chairman Bang Si Hyuk. She accused HYBE of delaying NewJeans’ promotion to prioritize the debut of LE SSERAFIM and claimed that ILLIT was mimicking NewJeans’ concept. That set off a chain reaction with SOURCE MUSIC (LE SSERAFIM’s agency) filing a defamation lawsuit seeking 500 million KRW (about $359,300) from Min. Meanwhile, BELIFT LAB went after her for damages totaling 2 billion KRW (roughly $1.44 million), citing harm to reputation.
In this hearing, ILLIT’s side also tackled Min’s claims about specific promotional content. She had pointed to things like using a COEX outdoor screen, selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower, and certain group poses as proof of copying NewJeans. ILLIT pushed back, saying that if you accept that logic, even NewJeans themselves could be accused of taking inspiration from past idols.
“We are not saying NewJeans copied anyone else,”
ILLIT’s agency
“We are simply pointing out that by Min Hee Jin’s own logic, NewJeans could also be viewed as copying earlier idols.”
ILLIT’s agency
This legal tussle continues to stir up conversation in the K-pop world about where the line between inspiration and copying really is, and who owns what in terms of creative ideas. Fans and industry insiders alike are watching closely as the battle unfolds.