On February 12, the 31 Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Min Hee Jin in her lawsuit seeking payment of shares, determining that her exercise of the put option was valid, and ordering HYBE to pay approximately ₩25.5 billion. The court also concluded that Min’s previous statements regarding NewJeans’ alleged copying of ILLIT, as well as his criticism of album sales practices, did not constitute serious breaches of contract.
According to reports, the court noted that some aspects of ILLIT’s debut performance could be perceived as resembling NewJeans. Although BELIFT LAB refuted the plagiarism allegations, the court found that the company had not presented sufficient additional evidence to definitively dismiss the similarities.
In the wake of the ruling, online communities began revisiting ILLIT’s December 2025 performance Global Music Bank Festivalwhere the group performed their songs “jellyous” and “Not Cute Anymore”. Some viewers argued that elements such as the style and direction reminded them strongly of NewJeans.
Critics pointed out that ILLIT’s outfits featured similar color tones to those worn by NewJeans during their 2023 promotions for “New Jeans.” Others stated that the font used to display members’ names on the LED screens resembled the design style of “Phoning”, the fan communication platform created through a collaboration between ADOR and Weverse for NewJeans.
Reactions among netizens were divided. Some have commented, “I thought NewJeans was back in the limelight at first glance,” AND “The font for the member names seems even more similar than the style.” However, others have objected to what they see as excessive interpretation, writing, “Not everything is about NewJeans,” “I don’t really see the resemblance” AND “Does wearing fluorescent colors automatically make you NewJeans?”
As debates continue online, the renewed attention highlights the lingering sensitivity surrounding originality and overlapping concepts in the K-pop industry, particularly in light of the recent court decision.
Sources: Naver
