On January 9, the 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court held the fifth hearing of a damages lawsuit filed by BELIFT LAB against Min Hee Jin. The session was held as an oral discussion in which only the legal representatives of both parties participated.
During the hearing, BELIFT LAB called the controversy a “planned public opinion campaign,” accusing Min Hee Jin of deliberately weaponizing plagiarism allegations, one of the most damaging issues in the idol industry, for personal gain. The agency argued that Min Hee Jin fully understood the explosive impact such statements could have on a fledgling group like that YOUespecially one with underage members.
BELIFT LAB further insisted that the allegations supported YOU copied or referenced New Jeansthe planning materials were completely false. The agency said internal KakaoTalk messages between Min Hee Jin and her associates contradict plagiarism allegations, adding that the matter only escalated after Min Hee Jin engaged in what they described as a strategic media campaign. According to BELIFT LAB, it was this sequence of events that started it MOVES initiate an internal audit.
The agency also stressed that holding a press conference to raise the issue caused irreparable harm YOUarguing that exposing young idols to intense media scrutiny constituted an illegal act that deserved compensation.
In response, Min Hee Jin’s legal team rejected these claims, saying that her statements had been misrepresented. His side maintained that he never definitively labeled YOU as plagiarizing New Jeansbut simply expressed professional concerns about “imitation.” They emphasized that the term “copy” was used conceptually and should not be equated with direct plagiarism or mechanical duplication.
Min Hee Jin’s legal representatives also argued that there are similarities between the two YOU AND New Jeans extended beyond a single element, citing overlaps in audition branding, choreography highlights, debut strategies, photoshoot color schemes and composition, typography, and album CD design. They argued that no other group apart YOU showed such a concentration of similarities and claimed to have materials which suggested that planning references had indeed been obtained.
According to Min Hee Jin, these similarities have led to a devaluation of the New Jeans‘ and the corporate value of ADOR, resulting in tangible personal harm to Min herself.
The two sides also clashed over the question of whether a pre-emptive media campaign was carried out before Min’s press conference. BELIFT LAB argued that Min Hee Jin intentionally leaked the plagiarism narrative to the press first, while Min Hee Jin’s legal team countered that online communities and critics had independently raised the issue prior to any official statement.
BELIFT LAB filed a ₩2 billion (about $1.5 million) damages lawsuit against Min Hee Jin in June last year. Min Hee Jin continues to maintain that her remarks constituted legitimate criticism made in her capacity as a producer, not defamation.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for March 27 at 4pm KST, as the closely watched case continues to unfold in the K-pop industry.
Sources: Daum
