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On May 2, 2025, Celeb Media reported that the highly publicized legal battle between former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE subsidiary BELIFT Lab has taken another turn. It is reported that the third court hearing originally scheduled for May 2, 2025, has now been delayed to July 18.
The 12th Civil Affairs Department of the Seoul Western District Court will now oversee the next session, where both parties are expected to present their main arguments using limited presentations.
Each side will be given two PowerPoint presentations with a 30-minute cap, aiming to argue their claims over whether ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans’ concept, choreography, and visual style.
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This lawsuit began after Min Hee-jin publicly accused BELIFT Lab of copying her work with NewJeans to launch their girl group ILLIT. BELIFT strongly denied the claims and responded by filing a KRW 2 billion (approx. USD 1.4 million) damages lawsuit for defamation and obstruction of business.
At a prior hearing, Min Hee-jin’s legal team pushed back on the claim that choreography was the central issue. They argued that visuals and branding also needed to be examined. BELIFT Lab, meanwhile, insisted choreography was the main focus and said they would also respond to other areas if raised.
As the case escalates, Min Hee-jin has also filed a counter-lawsuit against BELIFT executives for defamation, seeking KRW 5 billion in damages. She accused them of spreading false claims that she was delaying the legal process and emphasized that her actions were to address serious concerns over creative plagiarism.
More on the Min Hee-jin vs HYBE conflict and ongoing lawsuits
The lawsuit is part of a wider fallout between Min Hee-jin and her former parent company, HYBE, which owns both ADOR and BELIFT Lab. After her plagiarism accusations against ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM surfaced last year, tensions quickly mounted.
HYBE conducted an internal audit of Min and accused her of attempting to seize full control of ADOR. In turn, she resigned and filed her legal complaints. The complaints included charges of illegal audits and breach of shareholder agreements.
BELIFT Lab maintains that ILLIT’s debut plans were finalized before they received any reference material related to NewJeans. However, leaked internal documents have shown striking similarities in concept reports, triggering further suspicion. The controversy has only deepened with allegations that Min tried to poach NewJeans members for a new agency— something she has denied.
In addition to BELIFT’s case, Source Music (LE SSERAFIM’s agency) is also suing Min for KRW 500 million over similar claims.
Meanwhile, the courts have sided with ADOR in an injunction to prevent NewJeans from pursuing independent activities, freezing the group’s plans while the case plays out. The next hearing in July could be crucial in determining how this tangled corporate and creative feud unfolds.
