Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, now CEO of ooak records, speaks during a press conference on Feb. 25.NEWS1
Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, who accused girl group ILLIT of plagiarizing NewJeans, has been referred to prosecutors on charges of defamation and obstruction of business.
Min and two former ADOR vice presidents, identified only by their surnames Lee and Shin, were referred to prosecutors on Oct. 1 by the Yongsan Police Station, according to police on Tuesday. They are accused of spreading false information about ILLIT allegedly plagiarizing NewJeans with the intent to disparage Belift Lab, ILLIT's agency, and its parent HYBE.
Police determined that there were grounds for charges against Min and the two former vice presidents in connection with claims made during Min's previous press conference and in an earlier statement issued by ADOR alleging plagiarism.
At an April 2024 press conference, Min Hee-jin accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans, alleging that the group had imitated audition posters, a hanbok-themed photo shoot concept, debut strategy and choreography. Hanbok is Korea’s traditional dress, known for its vivid colors and graceful lines.
A month later, Belift Lab announced that it had filed a criminal complaint against Min with the police.
"We regret that the efforts and achievements of our artists and staff are being undermined by reckless speculation and false claims," the company said.
Min Hee-jin attends a hearing session at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul in September 2025.NEWS1
Courts had also rejected the plagiarism allegations in earlier lawsuits between NewJeans and ADOR.
In March 2025, a court ruling on ADOR's request for an injunction to affirm its status as NewJeans' management agency found that "it is difficult to conclude that ILLIT's concept plagiarized NewJeans' concept, and it is unclear whether NewJeans' concept qualifies for intellectual property protection."
In October of the same year, a court again rejected Min's claims in the main lawsuit over the validity of NewJeans' exclusive contracts with ADOR.
"Although some similarities between NewJeans and ILLIT can be identified in planning documents, photo shoots and other materials, they are insufficient to establish that ILLIT copied NewJeans' concept, and there is no other evidence to support such a finding," the court said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
