BTS member V has criticized former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin after discovering that their private KakaoTalk messages were submitted as court evidence in her legal battle with HYBE without his permission, even as he acknowledged in those chats that girl group ILLIT seemed “similar” to NewJeans.
On February 20, V shared an Instagram Story reacting to Korean media reports that his messages with Min were included in documents from the shareholder agreement lawsuit between HYBE and Min Hee Jin.
He explained that the conversation was part of a private, everyday chat with an acquaintance and stressed that he “had absolutely no intention of taking either side” in the dispute, according to allkpop.
V added that he was “very taken aback” and “embarrassed” that the messages were used in court without his consent. His statement signaled his discomfort at being drawn into the conflict.
According to the judgment details reported earlier this week, the Seoul Central District Court accepted KakaoTalk exchanges between V and Min as evidence while reviewing Min’s claims that HYBE girl group ILLIT had copied NewJeans.
In the revealed conversation, V reportedly commented on the plagiarism controversy by saying he had also looked at the situation and thought, “Ah, this is kind of similar,” referring to ILLIT’s concept compared to NewJeans, MK reported.
The court ultimately ruled that Min’s allegation that ILLIT copied NewJeans should be treated as a value judgment. It decided that her remarks were an opinion about overall similarity rather than a concrete statement of fact.
The ruling was part of a broader decision on February 12, when the court sided with Min in a put-option lawsuit, ordering HYBE to pay her about 25.5 billion won after confirming her right to sell shares back to the company.
While Min gained legal momentum from that victory, the disclosure of V’s private messages has sparked new debate among fans about privacy, consent, and how far internal communications should be used in entertainment industry lawsuits.
V has now publicly distanced himself from both sides. HYBE, Min Hee Jin, and related labels continue multiple ongoing legal battles, as per soompi.