Belift Lab, a label under HYBE, has postponed the third hearing of the damage lawsuit filed against former Adore CEO Min Hee-jin.
On the 2nd, the 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Chief Judge Kim Jin-young) was originally scheduled to hold the third hearing of the damage lawsuit worth 2 billion won against Min Hee-jin, but accepted the plaintiff's request to change the date and postponed it to July 18.
Previously, during the second hearing held in March, the court instructed both the plaintiff and defendant to submit their preparatory documents in accordance with Article 69-4 (Length of Preparatory Documents, etc.) of the Civil Procedure Rules, limiting them to within 30 pages (PPT) before the next hearing.
Both sides were expected to express their positions on key issues such as choreography plagiarism, the possibility of planning document plagiarism, and the hanbok concept through PPT during this hearing. However, Belift Lab requested a postponement, allowing them more time for preparation.
Earlier, Belift Lab's lawyer argued in the first trial held in January, "Choreography for girl groups inevitably involves similar movements being repeated, and additional elements are added. However, the defendant claimed that certain movements were theirs and marked them. They exhibited behavior attacking other groups while promoting, which reveals the defendant's malice. Such illegal actions should not be repeated."
In response, Min Hee-jin's lawyer countered, "The plaintiff appealed to the sentiment of marking coordinates. After New Jeans debuted, I-LAND debuted eight months later. However, immediately after I-LAND's debut, plagiarism issues were raised by the public and media, and there were also concerns raised by the parents of the members."
Former CEO Min claimed that the conflict with HYBE arose last April because I-LAND, a group under Belift Lab, plagiarized Adore's New Jeans. She stated that there were similarities in various aspects such as I-LAND's debut concept, costume choreography, and visual aesthetics compared to New Jeans.
Min viewed that HYBE initiated an audit against her as retaliation for these claims. Subsequently, in the legal battle between Min's side and HYBE, information from an internal employee regarding Belift Lab's copying of New Jeans' planning documents was revealed, causing a significant stir.
According to the report, this employee stated that the creative director of I-LAND requested New Jeans' planning documents from the early stages of I-LAND's conception, and that the I-LAND planning document was identical to New Jeans' planning document. The employee said, "I never imagined they would make it exactly the same. It seems that all the same materials have been submitted to the court, but why do they keep denying it?"
In response, Belift Lab stated, "The claim that I-LAND plagiarized New Jeans' planning documents is not true. I-LAND's branding strategy and concept were finalized and shared internally on July 21, 2023. The informant sent the so-called 'planning document' after that, on August 28, 2023, so it could not have influenced I-LAND's concept," completely refuting the copying allegations.
Later, Belift Lab's CEO Kim Tae-ho appeared at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit in October last year and stated, "It is not true that I-LAND plagiarized New Jeans. We have filed a civil lawsuit against Min, who raised this issue, and we are waiting for the judiciary's judgment," indicating that a lawsuit was forthcoming.
He added, "We intend to present materials and evidence that can prove what is not true through the court while complying with the relevant procedures."
New Jeans is a five-member girl group under Adore, a label under HYBE, that debuted in July 2022. I-LAND is another five-member girl group under Belift Lab that debuted in March this year.
