Belift Lab, a label under HYBE, lost a defamation lawsuit against Min Hee-jin, the former head of ADOR, seeking 2 billion won in damages.
On November 13, the Seoul Western District Court ruled against Belift Lab in its lawsuit against Min Hee-jin.
The court determined that Min's statement alleging that the group ILYT copied NewJeans in terms of hair, makeup, and choreography was not a factual assertion but rather a subjective opinion.
Even if the statement were considered factual, the court found it fell within the bounds of freedom of expression, given the public interest involved.
Min's counterclaim for 5 billion won against Belift Lab was also dismissed, with the court ruling that each party would bear its own legal costs.
Previously, during a press conference in April 2024, Min accused ILYT of copying NewJeans. In response, Belift Lab filed a lawsuit, claiming the statement was defamatory and false.
On the same day, Source Music also lost a 500 million won defamation lawsuit against Min Hee-jin.
Source Music argued that Min's claims regarding the debut process of NewJeans were false. Min had previously stated that Source Music neglected NewJeans members during their trainee period, some of whom are from Source Music.
The court ruled that Min's statement could not be deemed a false assertion. It added, "Even if this statement lowered Source Music's social evaluation, it was made for the public interest and thus is not unlawful."
Separately from this civil lawsuit, Min Hee-jin is facing criminal charges for obstruction of business and defamation, which were referred to the prosecution in October.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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