On the afternoon of May 15, the 12th Civil Division of Seoul Western District Court held the sixth hearing of BELIFT LAB’s KRW 2 billion damages lawsuit against former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin, who is currently the head of OOAK Records.
Previously, during HYBE’s audit investigation in April 2024, Min Hee Jin said that the conflict arose because “YOU copied New Jeans in every aspect.” In response, BELIFT LAB strongly denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit in June of that year.
During the hearing, Min Hee Jin’s legal representative argued that BELIFT LAB’s claims essentially revolved around the idea that YOU had followed New Jeans in many ways. The representative said Min’s comments were not part of a deliberate media strategy, but rather remarks made in emotional response to what they described as an illegal action. “witch hunt” linked to accusations of management takeover.
The defense also argued that Min’s statements did not constitute false information but were simply expressions of opinion, which they said had already been recognized in previous rulings. They pointed out that Min expressed his opinion from the perspective of the general director responsible for management New Jeans.
Min’s side also objected to what they called a “copyright frame”, explaining Min’s use of the word “copy” refers to imitation or similarity, not to legal copyright infringement. According to the defense, the discussion centered on similarities in style, public appearances, photo shoots and presentation concepts.
The legal team added that the perception of YOU similar New Jeans was not unique to Min Hee Jin, arguing that journalists and music industry experts had already publicly formed similar opinions.
BELIFT LAB strongly rejected such arguments, insisting that the main issue was that Min Hee Jin was allegedly malicious YOUreputation of ‘ while attempting to pursue personal interests related to it New Jeans.
The company’s legal representative argued that the evidence, including the KakaoTalk messages, suggested premeditated planning involving communication with New Jeansparents and journalists. BELIFT LAB said Min was fully aware of the potential consequences his statements would have on young idols YOU.
They also criticized the press conference held by Min Hee Jin in 2024, describing the large-scale media event and YouTube livestream as a calculated and highly harmful act.
BELIFT LAB also denied ever framing the issue strictly as a “copyright controversy”. The company said that Min, as an experienced K-pop industry professional, understood how choreography and concepts are naturally built from common foundational elements within the industry.
According to BELIFT LAB, Min proceeded with the plagiarism charges despite being informed that it would be difficult to prove copyright infringement, which they said demonstrated malicious intent.
After both sides exchanged views several times, Min Hee Jin’s representatives denied allegations that the press conference had been carefully planned as part of a public opinion campaign.
The defense argued that the discussions shown in KakaoTalk’s private messages reflected hypothetical thoughts and personal conversations rather than implemented plans. They pointed out that none of the alleged media manipulation strategies were actually implemented.
Min’s side also claimed that before the controversial press conference, over 1,700 articles portraying her negatively had already been published, contributing to severe emotional distress.
They explained that the controversial remarks re YOU It took up only about five minutes of a two-hour news conference and emerged as Min desperately tried to defend himself amid intense scrutiny.
The defense further argued that while individual similarities in debut choreography, styling, photoshoots, or presentation methods may exist independently, the problem was the accumulation of similarities as a whole.
According to Min, public discussions on YOU similar New Jeans it had already been circulated online before Min addressed the issue publicly.
Representatives of BELIFT LAB responded by accusing the defense of selectively interpreting the facts. They pointed to previous presentations comparing choreographies by groups such as FRIEND AND New Jeansarguing that Min could not claim ownership over all creative concepts or elements.
The company also said that Min had spent an extended period analyzing which HYBE label or artist could be targeted, ultimately selecting YOU. BELIFT LAB referenced KakaoTalk conversations discussing issues such as chart manipulation narratives, contract termination penalties, analyst leaks, and the collection of online posts related to plagiarism allegations.
According to BELIFT LAB, these details demonstrate organized planning rather than a legitimate self-defense exercise.
The next trial hearing is scheduled for July 10.
Sources: Daum
