YouTuber Who Claimed “Illit Plagiarized NewJeans” Ordered to Pay 15 Million Won to Hybe

According to The Financial News, a court has ordered a YouTuber who alleged that Hybe girl group Illit plagiarized NewJeans’ choreography to pay 15 million won in damages to Hybe.
On the 7th, The Korea Herald Business reported that in February Judge Choi Eun-joo of the Seoul Western District Court ruled in favor of Hybe in a damages lawsuit the company filed against YouTuber A.
The court stated that A had posted each video “without properly verifying whether the allegations were true,” and found that A was responsible for defaming Hybe.
The videos were uploaded in April 2024, when a management dispute was unfolding between Hybe and former ADOR chief executive Min Hee-jin. Based on the facts acknowledged by the court, A is known to have uploaded 31 videos criticizing Hybe over a six-month period starting at that time.
In the videos, A claimed that Illit had plagiarized NewJeans’ choreography. Both Illit and NewJeans are artists under Hybe labels. Illit is managed by Belift Lab, while NewJeans is under ADOR (All Doors One Room).
A also inserted captions such as “plagiarism evidence obtained” and “plagiarism materials” over footage comparing Min Hee-jin’s press conference remarks and the choreography of Illit and NewJeans.
In addition, A posted videos claiming that “Illit’s manager told people to ignore Hanni of NewJeans” and that “Hybe ostracized Hanni of NewJeans.” A was also reported to have uploaded videos belittling Illit’s performances.
In response, Hybe filed a damages suit against A in December 2024, seeking a total of 300 million won.
During the trial, Hybe argued that “A defamed Hybe” and that A had spread false statements, including that “Illit plagiarized NewJeans” and that Hybe had ostracized NewJeans.
Hybe further contended that A had “portrayed Hybe as if it forced Illit members to perform choreography with an inappropriately sexual concept for their age,” again asserting that these were false claims.
A’s side countered that the videos merely expressed “opinions about the idol industry in general, so they cannot be regarded as stating false facts.” They also argued, “I am only an individual YouTuber, whereas Hybe is a large corporation, so it cannot be said that Hybe’s social reputation or evaluation was harmed by these videos.”
The court of first instance concluded that A had indeed defamed Hybe by posting videos containing false information.
Regarding the video alleging plagiarism by Illit, the court noted, “The article submitted by A only confirms that there was controversy over a plagiarism dispute,” and added, “Despite the absence of any materials that would support a finding that Illit plagiarized NewJeans’ choreography, A uploaded the videos without properly verifying the truth.”
The court also cited an October ruling that found the exclusive contract between NewJeans and ADOR to be valid, explaining, “That judgment states that, after reviewing all the evidence submitted, there is insufficient basis to recognize as fact that Hanni of NewJeans was told ‘ignore her’ by Illit’s manager, and there is no evidence to support such a claim.”
On the videos disparaging Illit’s abilities, the court found that “the content clearly slanders Hybe and Illit,” and pointed out that “the videos received from at least 100,000 to as many as 8 million views, so it is correct to say that A’s actions damaged Hybe’s reputation or interfered with its business.”
However, the court set the damages at 15 million won, not the 300 million won Hybe had requested, stating that it had “determined the amount of compensation after considering the content of the videos, the number and repetition of postings, Hybe’s position in the entertainment management industry, and the view counts.”
Neither side appealed the first-instance ruling, so the judgment has now become final.
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter