Min Hee-jin wins final: Court dismisses Belif Lab director's 100M won defamation suit over Illit-NewJeans copy claims
Seoul Western District Court dismissed all damages claims against former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin on August 21. The plaintiff abandoned his appeal, ending the case.
Court finds no case, plaintiff walks away
Former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin won her defamation lawsuit. Seoul Western District Court Judge Park Geun-gyu threw out every damages claim against Min and former Ador Vice President Shin on August 21. The plaintiff—Heo, a creative director at Belif Lab—was ordered to pay all litigation costs.
Heo had demanded 100 million won in joint damages from both defendants, claiming Min's public statements destroyed his reputation. The conflict started in April 2024, when Min released a statement accusing Belif Lab's group Illit of copying NewJeans "in all areas of entertainment activities." She listed specifics: hair, makeup, costumes, choreography, photography, video, and event appearances. A press conference followed on April 25. Heo argued that these statements, plus later court arguments and emails, amounted to defamation based on false claims.
The court rejected his case on a basic point. Heo's name and title never appeared in Min's statement or at the press conference. Without that identification, the court ruled, he couldn't prove the alleged defamation targeted him specifically. The copying allegations themselves—broad claims about every aspect of the group's public work—didn't constitute targeted attacks on Heo personally.
Instagram posts factored into the ruling
The judgment also weighed Heo's own actions during the dispute. While Min's April 25 press conference was happening, Heo posted a photo with an insulting finger gesture to his Instagram story, then deleted it. Two days later, after NewJeans released the music video for Bubble Gum, he posted a movie poster to his story and removed that too. The court included both posts in its record without spelling out their legal significance.
Heo did not appeal. Min's victory stands.
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