Dispute between HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin grows

ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin speaks throughout a press convention held in Seoul. Picture: Yonhap through The Korea Herald

The battle between HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin is exhibiting no signal of enchancment regardless of Min’s supply of reconciliation, marked by a contemporary lawsuit and the discharge of a rebuttal video by Belift Lab, the company behind a Ok-pop rookie woman group, Illit.

Belift Lab introduced Monday, June 10, in a press release shared on X that they’re submitting a further civil lawsuit in opposition to Min accusing her of enterprise interference and defamation. Additionally on Monday, it launched a 28-minute YouTube video refuting the allegation of Illit’s plagiarizing NewJeans’ idea and magnificence.

The company identified within the video that the Seoul Central District Court docket’s approval of Min’s preliminary injunction on Might 30 pertains to a request to forestall the train of voting rights held by Hybe throughout Ador’s momentary shareholder assembly, and was not a ruling on the plagiarism problem. Belift Lab emphasised that the civil lawsuit for defamation filed in opposition to Min is a separate matter that may proceed accordingly.

“We are going to maintain Min accountable by submitting a civil lawsuit at this time for the damages suffered by (our) artists and staffers and creators of Belift Lab, who’ve achieved outstanding debut success (of Illit) in Ok-pop historical past,” Belift Lab mentioned within the assertion.

“The criticism and assaults in opposition to the artists (Illit) had been based mostly on edited photographs and movies that captured comparable scenes with out contemplating the context of the whole content material. Elevating plagiarism allegations in public with out presenting legitimate proof of copyright infringement will not be an applicable methodology of addressing considerations, particularly for somebody within the accountable place of a creator and consultant of a label,” the company added.

Throughout her second press convention in Seoul on Might 31, Min reaffirmed that her stance on Illit’s alleged plagiarism had not modified.

“I’m a constant individual. There can be no sudden change of (my) thoughts,” Min instructed The Korea Herald when requested if she nonetheless thinks Illit had copied NewJeans’ idea. Nevertheless, she requested that her dispute be not related to any Hybe artists.

In the meantime, abroad followers of BTS have demanded that Min depart Hybe as they argue the CEO has been deemed to have negatively influenced different artists beneath the guardian firm’s administration.

On the worldwide petition website “Change.org,” a petition titled “Min Hee Jin Depart Hybe Firm” was posted on Might 27. Practically 51,500 folks have agreed to the petition as of Tuesday.

Change.org is a platform the place people can help causes and request motion by way of on-line petitions. Since its inception in 2007, Change.org has seen participation from about 530 million folks throughout 196 international locations worldwide. Among the many petitions posted to the positioning, the platform claimed that round 97,000 have led to precise modifications.