Min Hee Jin’s Team Claims NewJeans–ILLIT Plagiarism Statements Were Defensive Reaction to HYBE’s Unauthorized Audit
The legal clash between former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and HYBE Labels over claims of imitation in the K-pop world heated up again at a court hearing on July 18 in Seoul. HYBE Labels is suing Min for 2.5 billion KRW (about $1.8 million) in damages, accusing her of defamation and business obstruction related to accusations that HYBE’s new girl group, ILLIT, copied the concept of Min’s group NewJeans.
At the third hearing held by the 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court, Min’s legal team pushed back by presenting comments from fans and the public on sites like Theqoo and Instiz. These highlighted how many people saw ILLIT as heavily inspired by NewJeans, and Min’s side argued that the entire controversy wasn’t started by them but emerged spontaneously through media and fan discussions soon after ILLIT’s debut.
Min’s representatives made it clear that the issue originally came up inside HYBE. They explained:
> “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.” Min’s team
They also stressed a key distinction, pointing out that this case is about defamation and business obstruction, not about copyright infringement despite the frequent use of words like “copying” and “plagiarism.”
> “This is a case involving defamation and business obstruction, not copyright infringement. Despite this, ILLIT’s side continues to frame the issue as one of copyright by focusing on the use of terms like ‘copying’ and ‘plagiarism.’ Plagiarism does not equate to copyright infringement. The plaintiff is blurring the issue by implying that the term ‘plagiarism’ means a legal violation of copyright, which has already been clarified in prior case law.” Min’s legal team
The lawyers explained that ILLIT’s camp seems especially focused on choreography, but in fact, there are even more obvious similarities in other areas that make it hard to deny imitation.
> “Other aspects bear even clearer resemblances, making it difficult for them to deny imitation. The similarities between NewJeans and ILLIT are too extensive to be dismissed as coincidental.” Min’s lawyers
Another important point Min’s side made was that the public perception of ILLIT as a NewJeans lookalike started long before Min spoke out herself.
> “When ILLIT was first unveiled, many immediately assumed they were looking at NewJeans. The similarities were so striking that even critics and international fans described ILLIT as a ‘Min Hee Jin-style girl group’ or commented that ‘everything about them reminds me of NewJeans.’” Min’s representatives
This legal battle comes after Min’s explosive press conference in April last year, where she openly called out HYBE chairman Bang Si Hyuk and other executives. She claimed that HYBE pushed forward the debut of LE SSERAFIM ahead of NewJeans, even though ADOR had been preparing NewJeans first. She further alleged that HYBE hindered NewJeans’ promotions until LE SSERAFIM’s debut and accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans’ concept.
In response, the agencies behind the two other groups got involved with their own lawsuits. SOURCE MUSIC, which manages LE SSERAFIM, sued Min for 500 million KRW (around $359,300) over defamation. Meanwhile, BELIFT LAB, ILLIT’s agency, filed a 2 billion KRW (about $1.44 million) suit for reputational damage caused by Min’s remarks.
This ongoing feud reveals how complex and tense the competition is behind the scenes between these K-pop powerhouses, with Min continuing to stand her ground and highlight what she sees as unfair practices by HYBE.