ADOR CEO Min Hee-Jin Faces Defamation Lawsuit From Hybe Sub-Label Source Music

Photo Credit: 티비텐 TV10 / CC by 3.0 (LE SSERAFIM)

Hybe sub-label Source Music sues ADOR CEO Min Hee-Jin over remarks made about LE SSERAFIM during two press conferences she held in April.The contention between K-pop juggernaut Hybe and Min Hee-Jin, CEO of its subsidiary label ADOR, seems never-ending. Over a month has passed since Min narrowly dodged Hybe’s attempt to dismiss her from her job, and now another Hybe imprint is taking a turn in the ring with her.

Source Music, another Hybe subsidiary and home to K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM, has filed a lawsuit against Min for over $361,000 (500 million Korean won) with allegations of defamation and disruption of business stemming from comments she made during her two press conferences held in April.

During her press conferences, Min asserted that her problems with Hybe began with Source Music’s debut of LE SSERAFIM, which notably includes two former members of the massively successful K-pop girl group, IZ*ONE. According to Min, her girl group project, which eventually became NewJeans, was pushed to the wayside by Hybe when the company decided to focus its efforts on LE SSERAFIM.

Min also claimed that Source Music “neglected” current members of NewJeans when they were initially trainees at the company, which caused her to bring them to ADOR to debut as a new group altogether.

According to Source Music’s filing, which was reportedly filed at the Seoul Western District Court, the label is suing Min for 500 million won ($361,328) for the alleged disruption of business suffered by the company over her remarks, citing defamation and supposed damage sustained by LE SSERAFIM. Sports Seoul reports the agency could demand more compensation determined by the damage calculated as having been suffered by the group.Source Music says it’s “in the process of verifying the matter.” Min recently attended a “questioning session” at the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul on Tuesday, July 9 following a report of “breach of trust” by Hybe. After eight hours of questioning, Min left the station, telling the press that the accusations were “comical.”

However, police are likely to summon Min for another round of questioning, according to Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho. “We didn’t get to verify all the things that we were planning to,” he told reporters on Monday (July 15). “There are things that we want to ask.”

Meanwhile, another Hybe subsidiary, Belift Lab, has reportedly accused Min of defamation and disruption of business, with similar allegations of remarks made during the April press conferences. There, they take issue with Min having called Belift’s girl group, ILLIT, a “NewJeans copycat.” Whether the accusations of defamation are part of a broader play by Hybe to force the ADOR CEO out by having its subsidiary labels bully her with lawsuits remains to be seen.