On February 12, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 31 ruled in favor of Min Hee Jin in her lawsuit seeking payment for shares, determining that her exercise of the put option was valid and ordering HYBE to pay approximately ₩25.5 billion. The court also concluded that Min’s previous claims regarding ILLIT allegedly copying NewJeans, as well as her criticism of album sales practices, did not constitute serious breaches of contract.
According to reports, the court noted that certain aspects of ILLIT’s early debut performance could be perceived as resembling NewJeans. Although BELIFT LAB refuted the plagiarism accusations, the court found that the company failed to submit sufficient additional evidence to definitively dismiss the similarities.
In the wake of the ruling, online communities began revisiting ILLIT’s performance at the December 2025 Music Bank Global Festival, where the group performed their songs “jellyous” and “Not Cute Anymore.” Some viewers argued that elements such as styling and stage direction reminded them strongly of NewJeans.
Critics pointed out that ILLIT’s outfits featured color tones similar to those worn by NewJeans during their 2023 promotions for “New Jeans.” Others claimed that the font used to display members’ names on the LED screens resembled the design style of “Phoning,” the fan communication platform created through a collaboration between ADOR and Weverse for NewJeans.
Reactions among netizens have been divided. Some commented, “I thought NewJeans had made a comeback at first glance,” and “The font for the members’ names looks even more similar than the styling.” However, others pushed back against what they see as overinterpretation, writing, “Not everything is about NewJeans,” “I don’t really see the resemblance,” and “Does wearing fluorescent colors automatically make it NewJeans?”
As debates continue online, the renewed attention highlights the lingering sensitivity surrounding originality and concept overlap in the K-pop industry, particularly in light of the recent court decision.
Sources: Naver