On the morning of the 12th, the 31st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Nam In Soo) held a sentencing hearing for two lawsuits: HYBE’s request to confirm the termination of its shareholder agreement with Min Hee Jin, and Min Hee Jin’s claim demanding payment for shares under her put option. The court ultimately ruled in favor of Min Hee Jin.
Notably, the court determined that Min Hee Jin’s decision to raise suspicions that ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans and to accuse the company of “album pushing” was justified.
Regarding the plagiarism issue, the court stated: “According to reports, ILLIT’s achievements immediately following their debut showed many similarities to the image of NewJeans. The parents of the NewJeans members also filed a petition concerning this matter. These opinions reflect views about similarities and cannot be regarded as factual misrepresentations. Belift Lab has not presented additional evidence to prove that the two sides are dissimilar, and the controversy cannot yet be considered fully resolved.”
The court further stated: “Raising the issue that ILLIT copied NewJeans cannot be viewed as a serious breach of duty. The suspicions raised by Min Hee Jin are considered personal opinions rather than assertions of fact, and therefore do not constitute the dissemination of false information. As the CEO of ADOR at the time, her decision to raise concerns about the similarities in order to protect the value of NewJeans was a managerial judgment made within the scope of her authority to safeguard the company’s interests.”
The case centers on a put option clause in Min’s shareholder agreement, which allows her to sell her ADOR shares back to HYBE under certain conditions.
Sources: Netizenbuzz
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