Former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin’s side has once again maintained that Source Music had promised the NewJeans members that they would debut as HYBE’s first girl group.
On August 21 KST, the Seoul Western District Court held another hearing in Source Music’s damages lawsuit against Min Hee Jin. The company is seeking approximately 500 million KRW (around 360,000 USD) in damages.
Source Music initially filed the lawsuit in July 2024, alleging damages stemming from defamation, obstruction of business, and insulting remarks. A verdict had originally been scheduled for January, but arguments were reopened at Source Music’s request.
At the center of the dispute are several past statements made by Min Hee Jin concerning the formation and debut process of NewJeans.
Source Music has disputed claims that Min personally cast the NewJeans members, that the company broke a promise to debut them as HYBE’s first girl group, and that the members were neglected while under Source Music. The company has argued that such statements were false and damaged its reputation.
During the latest hearing, Min’s legal representatives again addressed the alleged promise concerning HYBE’s first girl group.
According to Min’s side, the NewJeans members’ parents also acknowledged that such a promise had existed. Her representatives argued that documents clearly state that commitments had been made to the trainees regarding their debut.
Min’s side further maintained that no evidence has been presented proving that her statements were false.
Source Music pushed back against the argument, saying it had already submitted multiple pieces of objective internal evidence concerning Min’s statements but that her side had avoided directly responding to them. The company said it would submit additional arguments in writing.
The court concluded oral arguments on August 21 and is expected to set a date for the verdict at a later time.
