Min Hee Jin Faces Legal Setback in Source Music Lawsuit

Former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin has encountered a significant legal setback as a Seoul court dismissed her claims against Source Music. This ruling is pivotal as it raises questions regarding the ongoing ₩500 million KRW (approximately $345,000 USD) damages lawsuit that Source Music filed against her.

Details of the Case

On November 7, 2024, the Seoul Western District Court‘s Civil Division 12 will conduct the fourth hearing related to the lawsuit initiated by Source Music in July 2024. The case stems from accusations made by Min that Source Music copied her strategy for the debut of the now-popular group NewJeans.

In public statements, Min alleged that Source Music overlooked certain members of NewJeans during their management and claimed it was unjust for LE SSERAFIM to debut prior to NewJeans. Source Music has categorically denied these allegations, asserting, “Min Hee Jin’s claim that Source Music copied her launch strategy is false. Source Music never copied any plans proposed by then-CBO Min Hee Jin and has never acknowledged her complaints.”

The label further clarified that feedback from Bang Si Hyuk in 2020 on Min’s proposal was not intended to be executed through Source Music’s “N Team” (which includes LE SSERAFIM), but was meant for a new group under Min’s own label. Source Music accused her of distorting facts and has warned that continuing to spread false information could lead to strong legal action.

Implications of the Ruling

This ruling follows a recent court decision in the NJZ vs. ADOR contract dispute, where the court sided with ADOR and dismissed most of Min and NJZ’s key claims. This included allegations of unfair treatment by Source Music, LE SSERAFIM, and HYBE. The court also accepted evidence from what has been termed the “Min Hee Jin KakaoTalk logs,” which contained her internal complaints regarding HYBE and Source Music, deeming them largely valid.

In the previous ruling, the court dismissed nearly all allegations from NJZ and Min Hee Jin. These included claims that HYBE’s PR team had defamed NJZ, accusations of plagiarism against ILLIT, and various disputes surrounding incidents related to NewJeans. The court concluded that Min initiated the public narrative against HYBE in April 2024 and noted that most of her claims were unsupported by credible evidence.

The case continues to attract attention within the entertainment industry, as it highlights the complexities of management, artist relations, and the legal challenges that can arise in such high-stakes environments.