Legal Battle Begins Between Former Adore CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE Family
The legal confrontation between Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of Adore, and the HYBE family has officially commenced. On January 10, 2025, the Seoul Western District Court's 12th Civil Division held the first hearing for a damages lawsuit filed by HYBE's labels, Belift Lab and Source Music, against Min. Neither Min nor representatives from Belift Lab and Source Music attended the hearing, with legal representatives presenting their positions instead.
Belift Lab denied Min's allegations that their artist, ILY:1, plagiarized the Adore group NewJeans. They argued that ILY:1 represents 'teenagers in reality,' while NewJeans embodies 'Y2K nostalgia,' highlighting the distinct concepts of both groups. They stated that ILY:1's branding strategy was finalized and shared internally on July 21, 2023, well before a tip-off regarding the project was received on August 28, 2023, thus asserting that the concept could not have been influenced by the tip-off.
They also emphasized the uniqueness in music genres and performances, comparing it to Taekwondo forms, where the evaluation depends on the execution of movements. They criticized Min for claiming ownership over certain dance moves, labeling her actions as malicious attacks on another group through internal promotional methods.
Belift Lab claims that Min's ongoing allegations of copying have led to a decline in ILY:1's social media followers, decreased album sales, and the cancellation of advertising contracts, resulting in a demand for 2 billion KRW in damages.
They accused Min of engaging in illegal 'coordinate targeting' against ILY:1, which has a significant fanbase, causing harm to the group.
In response, Min's side characterized Belift Lab's arguments as an appeal to 'coordinate targeting sentiment.' They noted that the public raised plagiarism concerns immediately after ILY:1's debut, and despite efforts to resolve the issue internally, they felt compelled to bring the matter to light due to illegal audits conducted by HYBE.
Source Music claimed that Min's statements about neglecting NewJeans members, who were trainees under Source Music, and HYBE's decision to debut LE SSERAFIM instead of NewJeans, constituted defamation and obstruction of business, demanding 510 million KRW in damages.
They argued that Min was not the primary entity behind the global auditions that cast NewJeans and that she had delayed her branding responsibilities despite being brought on for that purpose.
Min's team countered that NewJeans was born from a project entrusted to her by Bang Si-hyuk, asserting that she was responsible for the overall concept and member selection. They claimed that Min brought NewJeans members to Adore for their debut, knowing it would be difficult for them to debut immediately after LE SSERAFIM. They submitted 1,000 pages of evidence, suggesting that Min's concerns about unfair management practices were met with retaliatory lawsuits.
Separately, Min has filed a 5 billion KRW defamation lawsuit against Kim Tae-ho, the head of Belift Lab, under the Mental Communication Act.
Last April, HYBE accused Min of attempting to seize control of Adore, leading to a report of breach of trust. Min held a press conference, calling the breach allegations a 'comedy' and claiming she faced unfair treatment from HYBE.
After a tense standoff, Min was dismissed from her position as CEO through an internal board meeting at Adore in August 2024. Following her dismissal, both Min and the NewJeans members demanded her reinstatement, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Min resigned from her position at Adore in November 2024, officially parting ways with HYBE.
In the same month, NewJeans members announced the termination of their contracts due to violations by Adore, which subsequently filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of their contracts with NewJeans.
