On November 7, the Civil Division 12 of the Seoul Western District Court held the fourth hearing in the ₩500 million damage suit filed by Source Music against Min Hee-jin. The case began in July 2024 and accuses Min of defamation and business obstruction.
During the hearing, Source Music responded to Min’s past statements, including her claim during a press conference that “I cast NewJeans myself” and that “HYBE broke its promise to debut them as their first girl group.” The agency presented video footage of trainee contracts as evidence to challenge Min’s assertions.
According to Source Music, it was the company — not Min — that cast the members. They clarified that Minji was scouted by Source, Haerin was street-cast in Anyang, and Danielle moved with a staff member from her previous agency. Haerin’s mother even commented on how remarkable it was to be approached in Anyang. Regarding Hanni, Source argued that Min’s international influence was too limited to credit her for Hanni’s recruitment.
They added that the NewJeans members did not join with any belief they would be HYBE’s first girl group. For example, Danielle said in a training video: “If I’m not confirmed as a member, please let me choose whether to transfer or stay.” Hyein was also featured in training footage.
To counter Min’s claim that HYBE betrayed her by debuting LE SSERAFIM first, Source cited Min’s own messages. In a July 2021 Slack message to then-CEO Park Ji-won, she wrote, “I don’t care when LE SSERAFIM debuts. Just move NewJeans to the M (Min Hee-jin) Label and debut them as the first M team.” In an August 2021 conversation with a shaman, Min said, “I want to be the last one to go. The main character comes last,” suggesting she preferred NewJeans debuting after LE SSERAFIM.
Source also addressed Min’s previous remarks calling them “thugs who sell trainees.” They responded that building idols from scratch requires trust and image, and that Min’s statements shook the company’s foundation, causing severe harm to employees and artists.
Furthermore, Source pointed out the irony in Min’s actions: “She claims the word ‘thug’ isn’t defamatory, yet is suing netizens for calling her the same.” The agency asked the court to award damages proportionate to the harm caused.
Back in May, Source submitted a 20-minute presentation including Min’s messages as evidence. Though Min’s side claimed this was illegally obtained, the court later ruled in August that the evidence could be admitted based on access context and internal consent.
In a previous related case, the court acknowledged Min’s internal whistleblowing via KakaoTalk messages and ruled in favor of ADOR over its exclusive contract with NewJeans.
Min had consistently claimed in public that she cast NewJeans, that HYBE reneged on promises, and that Source Music neglected NewJeans members. Source Music firmly denied these as falsehoods, adding that Min’s comments led to harmful rumors portraying LE SSERAFIM as a “privileged group that hurt others,” subjecting them to hate and malicious comments.
As a result, Source Music sued Min for ₩500 million in damages, citing defamation, obstruction of business, and insult. Belift Lab, another HYBE label, has also filed a ₩2 billion lawsuit against Min Hee-jin.
Sources: Daum