Source Music files lawsuit against Min Hee Jin

Source Music, the agency behind the girl group LE SSERAFIM, has filed a damage lawsuit against Min Hee-jin, the CEO of Ador. 

According to the legal community on the 15th, Source Music recently filed a lawsuit in the Seoul Western District Court demanding 500 million won (approximately 395,000 US dollars.) in damages for defamation, business interference, and insult caused by Min Hee-jin.

The amount of the lawsuit could increase as it currently only accounts for a portion of the damage Source Music claims to have suffered.

The lawsuit reportedly centers on three main issues: Min Hee-jin's claim that she personally cast the members of NewJeans, her unilateral decision to debut NewJeans as HYBE's first girl group, and her assertion that Source Music neglected the members of NewJeans.

It is well-known that some members of NewJeans were former trainees of Source Music. Min Hee-jin accused Source Music of neglecting these trainees and took issue with the fact that LE SSERAFIM debuted before NewJeans.

During her first press conference on April 25th, Min Hee-jin stated, "We were neglected when managed by Source," and "All members joined HYBE because of me." Source Music claims these remarks caused rumors that LE SSERAFIM received preferential treatment at the expense of other groups, leading to severe online harassment and damage.

Source Music has reportedly submitted evidence to support their claims, including instances where Min Hee-jin, as a brand manager, delayed NewJeans' debut schedule and acknowledged LE SSERAFIM's earlier debut. The evidence also includes examples of damages caused by negative online comments.

Additionally, Belift Lab, the agency of the group ILLIT, filed a lawsuit against Min Hee-jin last month for business interference and defamation, countering her allegations of plagiarism by NewJeans. Belift Lab criticized Min Hee-jin for sacrificing the innocent rookie group ILLIT to pressure HYBE.

Min Hee-jin underwent her first round of questioning on July 9th. On April 26th, HYBE filed a complaint with the Seoul Yongsan Police Station, accusing Min Hee-jin of breach of duty, claiming they confirmed specific facts about a plan to take over Ador's management under her direction. Min Hee-jin appeared at the Yongsan Police Station on July 9th and was questioned for over eight hours.

Regarding the investigation, Seoul Police Commissioner Cho Ji-ho stated during a regular press conference on the 15th that they could not confirm all necessary details and that additional investigation would be required. If Min Hee-jin's charges are confirmed, HYBE is also considering additional civil lawsuits.