According to legal sources, HYBE filed applications on Jan. 8 and Jan. 12 seeking restrictions on inspection and copying of trial documents in two separate cases: a lawsuit seeking confirmation of termination of a shareholders’ agreement and a separate claim seeking payment of stock purchase proceeds. The company argued that the documents contained internal reports and other trade secrets.
Under Korean civil procedure, restrictions on access to court documents may be granted if the documents include trade secrets, pose risks to public order, or could significantly disrupt the social lives of the people involved. Once such requests are approved, access to the documents is strictly limited to the parties involved in the case.
The court found that HYBE’s claim was valid “partial merit” and established that some documents presented by HYBE would only be accessible to the litigants and their legal representatives. Accordingly, third parties are not permitted to view or copy specific portions of the trial materials.
This is not the first time HYBE has attempted to restrict access to legal documents related to Min Hee-jin. In June 2025, the company filed a similar request in a separate injunction case seeking to prohibit Min from exercising voting rights. The request, however, was rejected by the court as it was not sufficiently motivated.
HYBE and Min Hee-jin are currently involved in two major lawsuits worth around 26 billion won (approximately 260 million dollars): a claim on the purchase price of shares and a lawsuit confirming the termination of their shareholder agreement. Both cases are currently in the early stages of the trial.
Notably, HYBE assembled a large legal team for the proceedings. The company appointed 21 lawyers for one case and 22 for the other, including lawyers from the prestigious law firm Kim & Chang and several former high-ranking judicial officials.
Sources: Bizhankook
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