Now I'm seeing some HYBE supporters spewing that Min Hee-Jin backtracked in court and said it wasn't about plagiarism. Here's what actually happened:
1. The Court Agreed with Her: When Min Hee-jin shared her concerns about imitation, the court legally recognized them as protected professional opinions rather than malicious lies designed to defame Serian Heu or BELIFT LAB. For a defamation claim to hold up, accusations must be fabricated out of thin air. However, the court noted that long before her press conference, both the general public and major media outlets were already heavily pointout out the blatant creative overlaps between NewJeans and ILLIT.
2. Her Role as ADOR's CEO Required Action: To prove malicious intent, her detractors (Serian Hue or BELIFT Lab) would have to show she invented a groundless imitation narrative when nobody else was talking about it. But she didn't. She acted strictly within her corporate duty as the CEO of ADOR. Her primary responsibility was to protect and manage NewJeans, their specific artistic identity, and their commercial image from brand dilution.
3. Staying Silent Was Not an Option: If she had kept quiet while an internal sub-label utilized highly similar visual concepts, it would have legally counted as a neglect of her duties as a CEO. She was contractually obligated to defend ADOR's intellectual and creative property. Raising these concerns internally, and later addressing the public discourse was a necessary business defense, not a malicious personal attack on other creative directors or BELIFT.
The absolute irony of HYBE supporters claiming MHJ "backtracked" is that when pushed in front of a judge, BELIFT LAB completely failed to provide substantial evidence to counter the similarity claims. Beyond empty corporate assertions, they failed to present any actual evidence to the court that could back up their statements. The judge explicitly rejected their defense, stating that BELIFT LAB failed to present anything to subside the issue. They simply couldn't produce an independent paper trail because, as court records from earlier this year proved, they were actively using NewJeans' planning blueprint.
So no, she didn’t "just win because it was her personal opinion." It was a protected professional opinion and a necessary business concern raised in her official capacity as the CEO of ADOR to protect her own artist's brand, an opinion that was ultimately backed by hard legal evidence proving that NewJeans' internal documents were actively shared and used by BELIFT LAB.
#HYBEapologisetoNewJeans
#NewJeans_Is_Five
#NEWJEANSNEVERDIE
FACT: Serian Heu went behind Min Hee Jin's back to request and access her planning document for NewJeans
FACT: Heu failed to produce any plans nor proposal of her own prior to accessing to MHJ's to present as evidence
🚨 IMPORTANT 🚨
This flew under the radar, but in September 2024, a journalist exposed a leaked recording on CBS showing HYBE's PR team talking about "winning over" the media. The call revealed how the company sought to influence journalists, effectively shaping public perception to protect the parent company (HYBE) during the NewJeans dispute.
HYBE really went after these young girls. People shouldn't be surprised by how difficult it was for NewJeans to have their voices heard in the South Korean media. They themselves said they struggled to get their side heard.
#HYBEapologisetoNewJeans
#NewJeans_Is_Five
#NEWJEANSNEVERDIE
Nah saying ILLIT is a cheap copy of NewJeans isn't just mhj's opinion, babe, IT WAS EVERYONE'S CONCLUSION, INCLUDING MULTIPLE JUDGES & ONE OF YOUR OPPAS LMAO
This is a summary of the events related to NewJeans that occurred this week:
1. A portion of HYBE's shareholders are demanding that the company's board apologize to the five members of NewJeans, bring Danielle back, and reinstate MHJ as Ador's artistic director for the musical direction of NewJeans.
2. The Korea Fair Trade Commission has opened a formal investigation into HYBE for alleged mistreatment of NewJeans.
3. MHJ won the lawsuit filed against her by Xerian Hue.
4. The Personal Information Commission responded to the request regarding the alleged leak of information about Hanni's immigration status in December 2024, stating that it is conducting an investment aimed at major entertainment agencies and is taking steps to provide appropriate action in all matters related to Ador.
5. The Korea Fair Trade Commission has opened an investigation against HYBE for violating the “Monopoly and Fair Trade Regulation Act” by terminating the contract and demanding sanctions against Danielle.
For all those who have had doubts about why we should boycott, several of these points provide sufficient reasons to do so. Raising our voices and making noise influences the decision-making of those who have the power to implement it. The massive number of petitions to investigate Hanni's case is the best example of this, putting social and media pressure on the matter.
Boycotting not only serves to punish financially, but also to exert social and media pressure, to let the world know that we will not allow the rights of human rights defenders to be violated.
Never stop boycotting, and never stop talking about the MHDHH fight!
Several hybe shareholders are increasingly directing their frustration at the company’s leadership over its ongoing legal disputes with mhj and danielle as well as hanni’s unresolved visa situation. some are even calling on hybe to apologize particularly to danielle, offer her favorable settlement terms, restore newjeans as a five member group, including bringing mhj back to oversee newjeans’ production.
They also point to the board of directors for wasting money on lost legal disputes and expensive lawyers, without bringing any benefits to their investments.
Newjeans isn’t newjeans without minji
Newjeans isn’t newjeans without hanni
Newjeans isn’t newjeans without danielle
Newjeans isn’t newjeans without haerin
Newjeans isn’t newjeans without hyein
Newjeans is MHDHH
Newjeans is and forever will remain as OT5