Source Music files 500 million won lawsuit against ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin

Social Affairs

Published: 15 Jul. 2024, 15:39 Updated: 15 Jul. 2024, 16:45

Source Music files 500 million won lawsuit against ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin

Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, left, and girl group Le Sserafim [NEWS1]

Girl group Le Sserafim's agency Source Music filed a 500 million won ($361,328) lawsuit against Min Hee-jin, the CEO of girl group NewJeans' agency ADOR, for the alleged damage sustained by Le Sserafim, citing defamation and disruption of business.

A Sports Seoul report said Monday that Source Music "recently filed the suit at the Seoul Western District Court" and that the agency could demand more compensation depending on the damage calculated as being suffered by the girl group due to Min's claims.

Min accused HYBE, the owner of both ADOR and Source Music, of having pushed NewJeans and herself aside for the debut of Le Sserafim back in 2022, during a press conference held on April 25.

Min claimed that her conflict with HYBE began with Le Sserafim's debut. She also accused Source Music of having "neglected" current members of NewJeans when they were trainees at the company, causing her to bring them to ADOR to debut as a new group.

Source Music handed in data to the court to refute Min's arguments, the Sports Seoul report said.

Min Hee-jin, CEO of girl group NewJeans' agency ADOR, answers questions from reporters after finishing the first session of questioning at Yongsan Police Station, central Seoul, at around 10 p.m. on July 9. [NEWS1]

Source Music's Le Sserafim [SOURCE MUSIC]

A Source Music official told the Korea JoongAng Daily that the company is "in the process of verifying the matter."

Min recently attended a questioning session at the Yongsan Police Station in central Seoul on July 9 after being reported for breach of trust by HYBE. She left the station after eight hours of questioning and told the press that the accusations were "comical."

Police are likely to summon Min for another round of questioning, according to Cho Ji-ho, commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

"We didn't get to verify all the things that we were planning to," he told reporters on Monday during a briefing. "There are things that we want to ask."

Belift Lab, another subsidiary of HYBE, also reported Min for defamation and disruption of business. Min called Belift Lab's girl group ILLIT a "NewJeans copycat" during her conflict with HYBE.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]