Belift Lab And Min Hee Jin Participate In First Trial — Here Is An Overview
This article is part of our coverage of HYBE vs. ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. You can read more and view the entire timeline here.
On January 10, 2025, the first trial session for Belift Lab’s lawsuit against former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin opened. Belift Lab had demanded ₩2.00 billion KRW (about $1.37 million USD) in damages. On the same day, the first trial for Source Music’s lawsuit against Min, seeking ₩500 million KRW (about $343,000 USD) in damages also took place.
Belift Lab’s lawyer stated that Min Hee Jin “targeted ILLIT, a group that had freshly debuted, and made statements that caused significant harm, regardless of the truth.” They compared K-Pop to Taekwondo’s poomsae, claiming that “there are established patterns and depending on how an individual performs the movements, it can be evaluated as different. Similarly, in K-Pop choreography, there are bound to the repeated movements which is natural in the industry. What is important is that each group showcases their individuality to appeal to the audience, but Min wrongfully claimed that these movements were her own.”
Belift Lab’s lawyer further claimed that Min Hee Jin was “malicious,” and tried to attack other groups “as part of internal promotion strategies.” Min’s lawyer hit back, responding that it was not targeted harassment, but objective facts. They claimed that “ILLIT debuted 8 months after NewJeans, and since ILLIT’s debut, there have been continuous allegations of plagiarism. While Min tried to resolve it internally through her email, HYBE conducted an illegal audit instead. As a result, Min had no choice but to speak out publicly and hold a press conference, raising the issue to bring it to public attention.”
They continued that the provided materials would already confuse the court as to who is ILLIT and who is NewJeans. Min’s plan was also allegedly leaked before Belift Lab’s plans were finalized. Considering these, Min’s lawyer concluded that Min did not defame ILLIT, but had simply raised the issue in public interest.
Belift Lab’s lawyer countered that Min had “malicious intent to target a potential competitor that had not yet formed a strong fanbase.”
The judge concluded that there was “a need to determine whether Min made fact-based statements, and whether the judgement standard should be based on experts or the public.”
The trial will be continued in multiple sessions. Stay tuned for updates.
