Min Hee-jin legal disputes with HYBE and subsidiaries

The legal conflict involving former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, HYBE, and the groups NewJeans and ILLIT has progressed through police investigations and court rulings regarding allegations of plagiarism and defamation.

In late 2026, a Seoul court dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Serian Heu, the creative director of ILLIT, against Min Hee-jin. The court ruled that Min’s claims regarding creative similarities between ILLIT and NewJeans did not constitute personal defamation because she had not explicitly named Heu. The judge also noted that Min’s disclosure of the timeline regarding the sharing of planning materials was based on “objective facts.”

Prior to this, the Seoul Yongsan Police Station referred Min Hee-jin to the prosecution on charges of business obstruction and defamation. This followed a complaint by Belift Lab, which alleged that Min’s claims—that ILLIT plagiarized concepts such as audition posters and choreography from NewJeans—were false and intended to disparage staff. The police determined that Min disseminated false information with the intent to slander HYBE and Belift Lab following her April 2024 press conference.

Additionally, two former ADOR vice presidents were referred to the prosecution for their involvement in issuing official statements regarding the plagiarism allegations. While civil litigation had previously found insufficient evidence to prove that ILLIT copied protected intellectual property, the police decision to refer the case to the prosecution has been challenged by Min’s legal team, who argue the findings contradict previous judicial decisions.