Min Hee-jin referred to prosecutors over ILLIT plagiarism claims

South Korean police have referred former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin to prosecutors over allegations tied to her claims that ILLIT copied NewJeans.

The Seoul Yongsan Police Station forwarded Min’s case on October 1 on suspicion of defamation and obstruction of business, according to Korean reporting that became public on October 14. Two former ADOR vice presidents were also referred on the same allegations.

The case stems from claims Min publicly made in April 2024 that ILLIT had copied elements associated with NewJeans, including concepts, promotional imagery and choreography. ILLIT’s agency, Belift Lab, filed a police complaint the following month, arguing that the claims were false and had harmed the company and its artists.

Police suspect Min and the former ADOR executives spread false information with the intention of disparaging HYBE and Belift Lab. The referral does not itself amount to an indictment or a finding of guilt.

Min’s current company, OK Records, disputed the significance of the police decision, describing it as a preliminary investigative opinion rather than a prosecutorial or court finding.

Separate civil rulings have previously declined to find that ILLIT copied NewJeans. In a March 2025 injunction decision, a court said it was difficult to conclude that ILLIT’s concept plagiarized NewJeans. In an October 2025 ruling over NewJeans’ exclusive contracts, the court acknowledged some similarities between the groups’ planning materials and imagery but found insufficient evidence to conclude that ILLIT had copied NewJeans’ concept.