BELIFT LAB files defamation lawsuit against ADOR's CEO Min Hee-jin
What's the story
The ongoing dispute between HYBE and ADOR's CEO, Min Hee-jin, has escalated with BELIFT LAB, the management company of the group ILLIT, filing a defamation lawsuit against Min.
This legal action is in response to accusations by Min that ILLIT plagiarized ADOR's group NewJeans on their debut album.
On Wednesday, BELIFT LAB announced via social media that they have officially lodged a complaint against Min for "obstruction of business and defamation."
Both BELIFT and ADOR are HYBE subsidiaries.
Firm stance
BELIFT LAB denied plagiarism allegations, vowed legal action
In their statement, the agency has categorically denied the plagiarism allegations made by Min against ILLIT.
The company stated that they will take legal action to prove that the suspicions were baseless, and although it might take some time, they will prove right from wrong.
They emphasized that accusations of intellectual property (IP) plagiarism should be judged through legal procedures and reasonable standards, not individual opinions or distorted interpretations.
Artists' struggles
BELIFT LAB highlighted controversy's negative impact on ILLIT members
BELIFT LAB also underscored the detrimental effects of these allegations on the members of ILLIT, who are currently dealing with significant online hate and slander.
The company has called upon the K-pop community to cease harming artists through reckless insults, malicious slander, dissemination of false information, and defamation.
This plea comes amid an ongoing conflict between HYBE and ADOR that began when HYBE discovered ADOR's alleged attempts to seize management rights.
CEO's defense
Meanwhile, Min denied accusations and clarified her intentions
In response to the ongoing conflict, Min has denied all accusations made against her, including the alleged attempt to take over ADOR and NewJeans.
To note, HYBE holds an 80% stake in ADOR, while Min has 18%.
A few days ago, she released a statement clarifying that her meetings with external companies Naver and Dunamu were "purely social," with no intention of gaining management control over ADOR.
Allegations
'HYBE cut, edited your messages': Min on badmouthing allegations
Further, in the same statement, Min refuted claims that she had ever criticized the members of NewJeans.
ADOR's CEO asserted, "Human relationships cannot be simply explained by a few snippets of KakaoTalk," referring to alleged leaked chats in which she purportedly criticized NewJeans's members.
She added, "My personality, casual speech, humor...are not known to those who simplify and judge. You would be in the same situation if HYBE cut and edited your messages."