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On May 30, 2025, the legal conflict between former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE’s subsidiary Source Music intensified. Both sides appeared in court for the second hearing in Source Music’s KRW 500 million (approx. USD 363,000) damages lawsuit.
As reported by StarNews Korea, the key issue in this hearing was the admissibility of KakaoTalk messages, which Min Hee-jin’s team claims were obtained without consent and should be excluded from the case.
Before Source Music could begin its planned 20-minute presentation, Min Hee-jin’s legal team raised objections and requested a closed trial, citing privacy concerns. They argued that the KakaoTalk messages presented as evidence were collected through questionable means and contained personal conversations.
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Her lawyers emphasized that if the messages were obtained in a manner that violated communication confidentiality laws, they should be disqualified from being used in court. They further expressed worry that the presentation could reveal sensitive details related to those messages.
The court acknowledged the seriousness of the claim. According to TV Daily, the presiding judge stated it was difficult to determine whether the KakaoTalk logs were illegally obtained based solely on the current evidence from both sides. The judge confirmed that if Min Hee-jin’s assertions proved valid, the content might indeed be inadmissible. As per TV Daily, the court said (translated via Google Translate):
"If it was obtained by violating the confidentiality of communications, it would be difficult to adopt it. We will disclose it, but we will restrict the parts that the defendant takes issue with. However, we cannot block the argument. We will restrict the argument regarding the part in this argument where it is claimed that that part was obtained illegally between individuals."
Until that determination is made, the court ordered all references to the disputed KakaoTalk excerpts to be excluded from argument, even though the hearing would proceed publicly for other issues.
Min Hee-jin’s side clarified that their main concern was the possibility of the presentation including message excerpts related to the controversy. Consequently, the court proposed that Source Music either modify the presentation or postpone it altogether until a final ruling is made on whether the evidence can be legally used.
The request for a closed hearing remains under consideration pending that decision.
KakaoTalk evidence dispute between Min Hee-jin and Sourve Music postponed until next hearing
In response, Source Music insisted that the messages were accessed legally. According to Sports Today, the company argued that Min Hee-jin had herself emailed these files to an external partner using her HYBE-issued work account, and they had remained on the company’s server. The HYBE's subsidiary claimed (translated via Google Translate):
"(the KakaoTalk messages) were not collected through illegal means. Even if they were exchanged via email, if they were done using company equipment, it is not considered private life. In this case, it is related to company equipment and consent was given in advance to collect them. It is different from someone secretly taking the phone and receiving the KakaoTalk messages."
Furthermore, Source Music pointed out that this same evidence had been used in a different case without objection. The agency questioned why Min Hee-jin’s legal team raised concerns at the last minute, despite earlier opportunities to contest the documents.
Due to these conflicting positions, the court postponed Source Music’s presentation. A separate hearing is scheduled for June 27, 2025, to specifically decide on the legality and admissibility of the KakaoTalk messages. Only after this ruling will either party be allowed to reference or include them in their formal arguments.
This lawsuit is part of a larger legal battle sparked by Min Hee-jin’s earlier public statements. She accused HYBE and Source Music of mismanaging NewJeans’ debut and allegedly copying her concept strategy. In response, Source Music denied all allegations and filed a ₩500 million damages suit, claiming defamation and obstruction of business.
The outcome of the June 27 hearing is expected to be a turning point. If the court permits the use of the KakaoTalk logs, the evidence could play a significant role in the rest of the proceedings. Conversely, if it is deemed inadmissible, Source Music may face hurdles in substantiating its claims.
