Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, who has repeatedly raised suspicions that girl group ILLIT from HYBE subsidiary Belift Lab plagiarized ADOR's NewJeans, has been referred to the prosecutors' office on charges including defamation.

The Seoul Yongsan Police Station announced that it referred former CEO Min to the Seoul Western Prosecutors' Office (then prosecutors' office) on charges of business obstruction and defamation on October 1.

Former CEO Min is accused of spreading false information for the purpose of slandering HYBE and Belift Lab, despite the fact that ILLIT did not plagiarize NewJeans.

In an emergency press conference held in April of the year before last, former CEO Min publicly raised plagiarism suspicions, claiming that ILLIT "copied" NewJeans' audition poster, hanbok photo shoot concept, debut method, and choreography.

A month later, Belift Lab released an official statement expressing regret that the efforts and achievements of its artists and members were being disparaged by reckless speculation and false information, and announced that it had filed a criminal complaint against former CEO Min with the police.

Regarding the statement released by ADOR three days before the press conference to the effect that ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans, the police concluded that charges were also established against former CEO Min, as well as then-ADOR Vice Presidents surnamed Lee and Shin.

They were also referred on the same day on charges of defamation and business obstruction.

This police decision to refer the case aligns with the tone of previous court rulings that did not recognize the plagiarism allegations.

In March of last year, during an injunction trial filed by ADOR to confirm its status as NewJeans' agency, the court stated that it was difficult to view ILLIT's concept as plagiarizing NewJeans and that it was ambiguous whether NewJeans' concept constitutes a subject protected by intellectual property rights.

In the main lawsuit to confirm the validity of NewJeans' exclusive contract sentenced in October of last year, the court also rejected the claims of former CEO Min's side, stating that although some similarities were identified between NewJeans and ILLIT in planning documents and photo shoots, it was insufficient to acknowledge that ILLIT copied NewJeans' concept, and there was no other evidence to support it.
(Photo: Yonhap News)