'LE SSERAFIM' Agency Files 500 Million Won Damage Lawsuit Against Min Hee-jin

Min Heejin Claims "Source Music Neglects Trainees"
Previously, Aileit Agency Also Sued CEO Min

Source Music, the agency of girl group LE SSERAFIM, has filed a lawsuit seeking 500 million won in damages against Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR.

On the 15th, Source Music announced, "We have filed a damages lawsuit against CEO Min Hee-jin at the Seoul Western District Court." Source Music, like ADOR, is a label under the parent company HYBE. It is reported that Source Music filed the lawsuit on the grounds that the claims Min made regarding the company during her conflict with HYBE were not true. They are demanding compensation for damages caused by Min’s alleged defamation, obstruction of business, and insult.

Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, is answering reporters' questions as she leaves Yongsan Police Station in Seoul after completing her first summons investigation on the charge of 'breach of trust' on the 9th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On April 25th, at an emergency press conference held at the Korea Conference Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, CEO Min claimed that HYBE broke its promise to debut NewJeans as its first girl group, and that LE SSERAFIM, under Source Music, debuted before NewJeans, leading to a conflict with HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. She also alleged that Source Music neglected NewJeans members and that HYBE was not proactive in promoting NewJeans. Some of the NewJeans members were former trainees of Source Music.

In response, the day after Min’s press conference, Source Music issued a statement on the fan communication platform Weverse, expressing "deep regret over the current situation where false information and rude expressions were publicly made, including disrespectful mention of other artists by name," and strongly requested that such incidents not be repeated in the future.

Chairman Bang Si-hyuk of HYBE and LE SSERAFIM
[Image source=Screenshot from Chairman Bang Si-hyuk's Instagram]

Previously, Belift Lab, a HYBE label and agency of girl group ILY:1, also filed a criminal complaint and a civil damages lawsuit against CEO Min for obstruction of business and defamation after she raised plagiarism allegations. Min had accused ILY:1 of plagiarizing NewJeans. In response, Belift Lab criticized Min on its official social media on the 10th of last month, stating, "CEO Min used the innocent rookie group ILY:1 as a scapegoat to pressure HYBE."

Meanwhile, HYBE filed a criminal complaint against Min in April on charges of breach of trust. HYBE claimed that Min planned to seize management rights of ADOR and secured specific witness statements and evidence supporting this. However, Min denied the allegations, arguing that due to the shareholding structure, a takeover was impossible and that she never attempted or initiated any acts that would damage the company’s value or constitute breach of trust. On the 9th, Min underwent her first suspect interrogation for about 8 hours and 24 minutes at the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. Min still retains her CEO position after a provisional injunction she filed to block HYBE’s exercise of voting rights at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting was granted.