On January 9, the Seoul Western District Court’s Civil Division 12 held the fifth hearing of a damages lawsuit filed by BELIFT LAB against Min Hee Jin. The session proceeded as an oral argument attended only by legal representatives from both sides.
During the hearing, BELIFT LAB characterized the controversy as a “planned public opinion campaign,” accusing Min Hee Jin of deliberately weaponizing plagiarism allegations one of the most damaging issues in the idol industry for personal gain. The agency argued that Min Hee Jin fully understood the explosive impact such claims could have on a rookie group like ILLIT, especially one with underage members.
BELIFT LAB further insisted that allegations claiming ILLIT copied or referenced NewJeans’ planning materials were entirely false. The agency stated that internal KakaoTalk messages between Min Hee Jin and her associates contradict the plagiarism claims, adding that the issue escalated only after Min Hee Jin engaged in what they described as a strategic media campaign. According to BELIFT LAB, this sequence of events ultimately prompted HYBE to launch an internal audit.
The agency also emphasized that holding a press conference to raise the issue inflicted irreparable harm on ILLIT, arguing that exposing young idols to intense media scrutiny constituted an unlawful act warranting compensation.
In response, Min Hee Jin’s legal team rejected these claims, asserting that her statements had been misrepresented. Her side argued that she never conclusively labeled ILLIT as plagiarizing NewJeans, but merely expressed professional concerns regarding “imitation.” They stressed that the term “copy” was used conceptually and should not be equated with direct plagiarism or mechanical duplication.
Min Hee Jin’s legal representatives further contended that similarities between ILLIT and NewJeans extended beyond a single element, citing overlaps in audition branding, choreography highlights, debut strategies, photo shoot color schemes and composition, typography, and album CD design. They argued that no other group aside from ILLIT exhibited such a concentration of similarities and claimed to possess materials suggesting that planning references had indeed been obtained.
According to Min Hee Jin’s side, these similarities led to a devaluation of NewJeans’ brand and ADOR’s corporate worth, resulting in tangible personal damages to Min herself.
The two sides also clashed over whether a preemptive media campaign took place before Min’s press conference. BELIFT LAB argued that Min Hee Jin intentionally leaked the plagiarism narrative to the press first, while Min Hee Jin’s legal team countered that online communities and critics had independently raised the issue prior to any official statement.
BELIFT LAB filed the ₩2 billion (approximately USD 1.5 million) damages lawsuit against Min Hee Jin in June last year. Min Hee Jin continues to maintain that her remarks constituted legitimate criticism made in her capacity as a producer, not defamation.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for March 27 at 4 p.m. KST, as the closely watched case continues to unfold within the K-pop industry.
Sources: Daum
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