“After the claim that Illit copied NewJeans...” Min Hee-jin ultimately referred on suspicion of defamation

[Financial News] Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR, who claimed that girl group Illit, managed by BELIFT LAB, a label under HYBE, plagiarized NewJeans’ concept, has been referred to the prosecution office on suspicion of defamation and other charges.
According to police on the 14th, Yongsan Police Station in Seoul referred former CEO Min and two former ADOR vice presidents to the prosecution office on the 1st on charges of defamation and obstruction of business.
At an emergency press conference in April 2024, former CEO Min claimed that Illit had copied NewJeans’ audition posters, hanbok pictorial concept, debut approach, choreography and other elements. Three days before the press conference, then-ADOR vice presidents Lee and Shin reportedly issued a statement expressing the same position.
BELIFT LAB, Illit’s agency, filed a police complaint against former CEO Min a month later in response to these claims. In a statement at the time, BELIFT LAB said that false information and indiscriminate speculation were disparaging the efforts and achievements of its artists and members.
Police reportedly determined that, although Illit had not plagiarized NewJeans’ concept, former CEO Min and others had spread false information with the intent of disparaging HYBE and BELIFT LAB.
The plagiarism claim by former CEO Min’s side was also rejected in related legal proceedings. In the merits case seeking confirmation of the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract, decided in October last year, the court ruled, “Although some similarities between NewJeans and Illit can be found in planning documents and pictorials, among other things, this is insufficient to conclude that Illit copied NewJeans’ concept, and there is no other evidence to establish that it did.” In other words, even if there were some similarities, there was insufficient evidence to find that Illit copied NewJeans’ concept.
Former CEO Min’s side countered that the police’s referral recommendation was merely a preliminary assessment by investigators. In a statement released that day, her side said, “The issue of similarities involving Illit had first been brought into public debate through the public and the media, and the press conference was held against the backdrop of HYBE’s response.” It also argued, “Some of the police’s recommendations to refer the case are merely preliminary opinions from investigative authorities, not an indictment by prosecutors or a finding by a court, and they overlap with issues already rejected in related civil proceedings.”
[email protected] Seo Ji-yoon Reporter