On September 11, 2025, the Seoul Central District Court’s 31st Civil Affairs Division heard a crucial round in the legal battle between HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. According to Nate, HYBE presented evidence claiming to prove Min Hee-jin orchestrated smear campaigns against LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT.HYBE also accused Min Hee-jin of involvement in music chart manipulation controversies related to the two girl groups. This evidence was contained in a document titled "Project 1945." It was first uncovered during a HYBE audit in early 2024 and resurfaced during this week’s witness questioning.HYBE’s Chief Legal Officer Jung Jin-soo testified about details in Project 1945. According to Nate publication, he was asked about the entries “LE SSERAFIM 2/19” and “ILLIT 3/25” written under the section labeled music chart manipulation. Jung explained that these referred to LE SSERAFIM’s February 19 comeback and ILLIT’s March 25 debut date.Translations of Jung Jin-soo's explanation (translation by X/@Snper22)He claimed that Min Hee-jin’s team had planned to target both groups by framing them for digital chart manipulation, even before ILLIT’s official debut. Additional evidence came from minutes of a March 29, 2024, meeting with NewJeans’ parents.The records showed strategies such as “searching for employee controversy,” “investigating communities/SNS,” and “same concept photos, imitation of NewJeans.” Notes also included instructions like “intentionality, using unfollowing is the problem,” and “keeping quiet is a loss.” These allegedly indicated plans to actively promote negative narratives against LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT.The same document discussed how to leak stories to reporters and mentioned a specific journalist and outlet, with remarks like, “How should I leak it to a reporter?” and “Who should I send it to?” which reportedly pointed to preparations for targeted media exposure.This development came as the second mediation session between NewJeans and ADOR failed to reach an agreement on exclusive contracts. With mediation breaking down, the court confirmed it will now issue a ruling on October 30.Meanwhile, Min Hee-jin personally attended the hearing for her separate ₩26 billion KRW (about $19.8 million USD) shareholder put option lawsuit against HYBE. NewJeans members did not appear at the mediation.More on Project 1945, HYBE’s accusations, and Min Hee-jin’s defenseHYBE’s legal team emphasized that Project 1945 was more than just speculation. They claimed it was a deliberate plan to undermine the company’s other girl groups while boosting NewJeans. The document was reportedly drafted on March 2, 2024, under the direction of Min Hee-jin by then Vice President Lee Sang-woo.It listed tactics for pressuring HYBE’s management while linking LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT to controversies. Jung Jin-soo pointed out that, in the case of ILLIT, attempting to portray the group as manipulative was especially damaging, as they had not even debuted at the time.Wonhee, Iroha and Minju of girl group ILLIT pose for a photocall for "Canada Goose" capsule collection launch event on December 11, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage)Nate further reported that the March 29 meeting minutes depicted a calculated effort at public opinion warfare, including talking points like “same concept photos, imitation of NewJeans” to accuse LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT of copying NewJeans’ image. They also allegedly aimed to escalate minor issues, such as unfollowing on social media, into larger controversies. By suggesting “doing nothing is a loss,” Min Jee-jin’s side appeared determined to control the narrative by constantly engaging in or fueling disputes. HYBE provided evidence showing Min Hee-jin giving real-time instructions via KakaoTalk to her team. These included resisting plan changes, releasing negative content on April 3, and launching further attacks after April 11. They argued these messages demonstrated her active role in orchestrating smear campaigns against HYBE’s artists. Min Hee-jin, however, denied these claims in court, asserting that HYBE was misrepresenting the context of the documents and testimonies. She reiterated her belief that ILLIT’s sales spike during their debut week was suspicious and argued that NewJeans had been unfairly sidelined. Min Hee-jin also accused HYBE of illegally obtaining private communications and claimed that the evidence was collected without proper legal grounds.ADOR CEO Min Hee-Jin Press Conference (Image via Getty)The same hearing also saw HYBE’s CLO dismiss claims that former HYBE CEO Park Ji-won promised NewJeans a long vacation. He clarified it was simply a normal break following comeback promotions. Min countered by accusing HYBE of lying in testimony, calling their claims fabricated.With mediation between NewJeans and ADOR now officially at a dead end, the court’s October 30 ruling is expected to be a decisive moment in the long-standing conflict.