According to legal sources on April 7, the Seoul Western District Court ruled in favor of HYBE in a defamation lawsuit filed against the YouTuber, identified as “A.” The court determined that A had posted multiple videos without properly verifying facts, thereby damaging the company’s reputation.
The controversy dates back to April 2024, during the highly publicized management dispute between HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. Over a six-month period, the YouTuber uploaded 31 videos criticizing HYBE, including claims that ILLIT had copied NewJeans’ choreography.
In these videos, A used captions such as “plagiarism evidence obtained” and “proof of copying,” while also editing clips comparing performances between the two groups. Additional content included allegations that ILLIT’s manager instructed staff to ignore NewJeans member Hanni, as well as claims that HYBE had ostracized the group.
The YouTuber also posted videos criticizing ILLIT’s live performance skills and styling, further contributing to what the court described as defamatory content. Some of these videos reportedly amassed between 100,000 to 8 million views, amplifying their impact.
HYBE filed a ₩300 million damages lawsuit in December 2024, arguing that the videos contained false information that harmed both the company and its artists. In response, A claimed the content represented personal opinions about the idol industry and argued that, as a large corporation, HYBE’s reputation would not be significantly affected.
However, the court rejected these arguments. It stated that while there had been public controversy surrounding plagiarism claims, there was no verified evidence supporting the allegation that ILLIT copied NewJeans’ choreography. The ruling also referenced a prior decision affirming the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract, noting insufficient evidence to support claims of internal mistreatment.
Ultimately, the court concluded that the YouTuber had indeed defamed HYBE by presenting unverified claims as facts. While the original claim sought ₩300 million, the court awarded ₩15 million in damages after considering factors such as the content, frequency of uploads, and view counts.
The ruling has since been finalized, as neither party filed an appeal.
Sources: 네이트 뉴스
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