Min Hee Jin's side has issued a statement regarding the civil lawsuit over the "ILLIT plagiarism controversy."
Seoul Western District Court’s 12th Civil Division will hold the first trial hearing on January 10 next year for a damages suit worth around 2 billion KRW (~1.4 million USD) filed by ILLIT's agency, Belift Lab, against former CEO Min Hee Jin. The court has reviewed both sides' opinions and set the trial schedule. During this process, Belift Lab applied for an expedited hearing, alleging that Min Hee Jin’s side intentionally delayed proceedings.
On November 18, a representative for Min Hee Jin stated to Star News, "Despite clear testimony from an internal source and obvious similarities, they deny it and are misleading public opinion." They criticized, saying, "It was HYBE and Belift Lab that dragged this issue outside, spreading numerous lies, disrupting business, and defaming, rather than resolving it internally. It’s worth questioning who is truly using the rookie artist as a shield while claiming interference without considering the harm caused to NewJeans."
Earlier, Min Hee Jin’s team claimed at a preliminary injunction hearing led by the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 50 that "ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans." They disclosed testimony from a HYBE insider who stated that ILLIT’s creative director had received NewJeans' planning documents during ILLIT’s conceptual stage and that the plans for both groups were identical. The insider also reportedly said, "I never imagined they'd replicate it exactly."
In April, ADOR publicly addressed the "ILLIT NewJeans copy incident," stating, "To protect NewJeans and for the healthy development of the Korean music industry and culture, we are making our stance known." ADOR alleged that Belift Lab, one of HYBE’s labels, launched the five-member girl group ILLIT in March. After ILLIT’s teaser photos were released, online responses flooded with comments like, "I thought it was NewJeans." ADOR claimed ILLIT was copying NewJeans in all entertainment aspects—hairstyling, makeup, outfits, choreography, photos, videos, and events—and labeled ILLIT as "Min Hee Jin-style," "Min Hee Jin-type," and "a NewJeans imitation."
ADOR further argued, "HYBE Chairman Bang Si Hyuk produced ILLIT's debut album. The ILLIT NewJeans copycat incident was not solely the work of Belift Lab; HYBE was involved. HYBE, which claims to lead K-pop, is merely rehashing existing successful cultural content for short-term gain instead of presenting anything innovative." They added that although some accepted ILLIT’s resemblance to NewJeans as reasonable since they are under HYBE’s labels, it’s a misconception. ADOR asserted, "The multi-label system was designed to allow each label to independently pursue its own music, not to justify one label imitating another’s cultural achievements."
On April 25, Min Hee Jin held an emergency press conference, stressing the similarities between NewJeans and ILLIT, further fueling the controversy. She argued that she had already formally objected to HYBE, accusing ILLIT of copying NewJeans' concept, saying, "It’s not about criticizing ILLIT; the issue is they imitated the production formula too closely. Avoiding this imitation is essential. Otherwise, why have a multi-label system?" She added, "This benefits no one. ILLIT is also harmed by this; it risks making everything about NewJeans. I’m not blaming ILLIT; it’s the adults who are at fault."
Belift Lab responded by denying that ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans' concept, filing the lawsuit in June. They claimed, "ILLIT’s branding and concept were finalized and shared internally by July 21, 2023. The so-called plan that the informant allegedly sent came later, on August 28, 2023, making it impossible to influence ILLIT's concept."
Additionally, Belift Lab announced they had submitted a criminal complaint against Min Hee Jin for business interference and defamation, alleging that she sacrificed an innocent rookie group for her own personal gain by asserting plagiarism, thereby negatively impacting the broader pop culture. They cautioned that, "If such selective and distorted actions for personal gain are not corrected, it will severely restrict creators' freedom, and Min Hee Jin won’t remain unaffected."
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