On November 7, the 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court held the fourth hearing in Source Music’s ₩500 million damages lawsuit against Min Hee-jin. The case began in July 2024 and accuses Min of defamation and obstruction of business.
During the hearing, Source Music responded to Min’s past statements, including his statement during a press conference “I pitched New Jeans myself” and that “HYBE broke their promise to debut them as their first girl group.” The agency presented video footage of internship contracts as evidence to dispute Min’s claims.
According to Source Music, it was the company, not Min, who chose the members. They clarified that Minji was discovered by the Source, Haerin was picked off the street in Anyang, and Danielle moved in with a staff member from her previous agency. Haerin’s mother even commented on how amazing it was to be approached by Anyang. As for Hanni, the Source argued that Min’s international influence was too limited to give her credit for Hanni’s recruitment.
They added that the New Jeans the members did not join with any belief that they would be HYBE’s first girl group. For example, Danielle said in a training video: “If I am not confirmed as a member, let me choose whether to move or stay.” Hyein also appeared in training videos.
To counter Min’s claim that HYBE betrayed her by debuting THE SERAPHINS First, the Source cited Min’s messages. In a July 2021 Slack message to then-CEO Park Ji-won, he wrote: “I don’t care when THE SERAPHINS debuts. Just move New Jeans to the M (Min Hee-jin) label and have them debut as the first M team.” In an August 2021 conversation with a shaman, Min said: “I want to be the last to leave. The main character arrives last,” suggesting he preferred New Jeans debuting later THE SERAPHINS.
The source also responded to Min’s previous remarks by calling them out “thugs selling interns”. They responded that building idols from scratch requires trust and image, and that Min’s statements shook the company’s foundations, causing serious harm to employees and artists.
Additionally, Source pointed out the irony in Min’s actions: “She claims the word ‘thug’ is not defamatory, but she is suing netizens for calling her the same thing.” The agency asked the court to award compensation proportionate to the damage caused.
In May, Source presented a 20-minute presentation including Min’s messages as evidence. Although Min’s side argued that these had been obtained illegally, the court subsequently ruled in August that the evidence could be admitted based on the context of access and internal consent.
In a previous related case, the court recognized Min’s internal complaint via KakaoTalk messages and ruled in favor of ADOR on its exclusive contract with New Jeans.
Min had consistently stated in public that he had chosen the cast New Jeansthat HYBE has reneged on its promises and that Source Music has neglected New Jeans members. Source Music strongly denied that these are falsehoods, adding that Min’s comments have led to the impersonation of malicious rumors THE SERAPHINS as a “privileged group that hurts others”, subjecting them to hateful and malicious comments.
As a result, Source Music sued Min for ₩500 million in damages, citing defamation, obstruction of business, and insult. Belift Lab, another HYBE label, also filed a ₩2 billion lawsuit against Min Hee-jin.
Sources: Daum
