NewJeans Accuses HYBE of Discrimination, Accuses ILLIT of Copying and Revisits “Ignore Hanni” Incident

At 10:30 AM on March 7th, the Seoul Central District Court (Civil Division 50) held the first hearing for ADOR’s injunction request to maintain its position as the management agency of NewJeans and to prohibit the members from signing independent advertisement contracts.

NewJeans members and CEO Kim Joo-young appeared in court as defendants and plaintiffs, respectively. The members arrived around 10 AM, dressed in black suits, stepping out of a white van before entering the courtroom.

During the proceedings, NewJeans‘ side reiterated claims that had previously been made public during the dispute between former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE, including allegations of HYBE’s discriminatory treatment, ILLIT copying NewJeans and the infamous “Ignore Hanni” incident involving a Belift Lab manager.

NewJeans’ lawyer argued, “HYBE’s extensive media manipulation, their plan to abandon NewJeans and start anew, ILLIT’s plagiarism controversy and the failure of cooperation with Dolphiners Films—these all happened between 2023 and 2024. Among all artists under HYBE, only NewJeans has experienced such treatment.“

The lawyer continued, “HYBE’s other subsidiary labels have consistently engaged in unfair practices, and ADOR lacks both the ability to prevent these actions and to take proper post-facto measures. If the same situation had occurred at another agency, they wouldn’t have stood by and done nothing like ADOR did.”

Claims of Favoritism Toward LE SSERAFIM

NewJeans’ side pointed to HYBE’s subsidiary Source Music as an example of discriminatory treatment, stating, “HYBE had promised that NewJeans would debut as HYBE’s first girl group. Min Hee-jin joined HYBE under this expectation. However, after NewJeans completed their debut evaluation in March 2021, HYBE left them neglected until September 2021.”

The lawyer further alleged that in the meantime, Source Music recruited Sakura, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin and “debuted LE SSERAFIM first”. “There was no explanation given during this period. Additionally, member Hyein was selected as an ambassador for a particular brand, but suddenly, LE SSERAFIM was also appointed as ambassadors for the same brand. When we checked with the brand, they said HYBE had requested it first, and they had assumed HYBE had obtained NewJeans’ approval. The brand later apologized for the misunderstanding.”

NewJeans Accuses HYBE of Launching ILLIT as a Copycat Group

NewJeans’ side also alleged that HYBE intentionally launched ILLIT as a group modeled after them to devalue and replace NewJeans.

They stated, “NewJeans’ original concept plans were copied. We even received reports about this from HYBE employees themselves. Despite a three-year gap between their debuts, there are multiple reports stating that ILLIT’s concept bears excessive resemblance to NewJeans’. When comparing planning documents, the structure, templates, references and content are strikingly similar.”

As evidence, NewJeans’ side presented traditional Korean hanbok photos of both groups for comparison, claiming, “At first glance, you can’t even tell which is NewJeans and which is ILLIT. Why did they feel the need to replicate the exact color palette, concept and textures? ADOR didn’t point this out first, nor did NewJeans’ parents—the fans were the ones who initially reacted, saying, ‘This is seriously too much.’”

They further asserted that ILLIT’s teaser images, styling, choreography and overall public presentation were all imitations of NewJeans.

As additional proof, they played footage of ILLIT’s choreography, arguing, “NewJeans’ signature dance move has been ‘reinterpreted’ under the excuse of being an homage. However, neither ADOR nor NewJeans ever permitted such copying.” They also criticized HYBE’s handling of the issue, stating, “HYBE launched a sudden large-scale audit against Min Hee-jin, used media manipulation and even had Belift Lab file a multi-billion won lawsuit against her. They now say, ‘We don’t know if it’s plagiarism, but let’s wait for the court to decide.’“

Revisiting the “Ignore Hanni” Incident

NewJeans’ side also brought up the “Ignore Hanni” controversy, stating, “ADOR failed to protect Hanni when Belift Lab’s manager made dismissive remarks about her. Instead of addressing the issue, ADOR acted as if Hanni was lying.“

They accused Kim Joo-young of violating contractual obligations, stating, “CEO Kim prioritized protecting HYBE and Belift Lab rather than safeguarding Hanni. Her failure to demand an apology or ensure the prevention of future incidents was a breach of her duty to protect her artists and a violation of the exclusive contract.“

In late November last year, NewJeans unilaterally notified ADOR of their intent to terminate their exclusive contract. However, ADOR refused to accept this and filed an injunction against the members in January.

Initially, ADOR claimed that the injunction was necessary to prevent confusion and damage to third parties, such as advertisers. However, on February 11th, ADOR expanded its request, asking the court to prohibit not only advertising but also any music-related activities—including songwriting and composing—along with any other supplementary activities.