Court orders compensation of ₩15 million (approx. $11,000 USD), less than the initial ₩300 million claim
A South Korean court has ruled that a YouTuber who alleged that HYBE’s girl group ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans must compensate the company ₩15 million (approximately $11,000 USD) in damages.
According to legal sources on April 7, the Seoul Western District Court’s Civil Division 9, presided over by Judge Choi Eun-joo, sided with HYBE in a damages lawsuit filed against the YouTuber, identified as Mr. A. The court found that Mr. A had posted videos without properly verifying their accuracy, thereby damaging HYBE’s reputation.
Court: “Videos Posted Without Verifying Facts”
The dispute dates back to April 2024, when a management rights conflict emerged between HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. During the six months that followed, Mr. A uploaded 31 videos criticizing HYBE.
In these videos, Mr. A claimed that ILLIT had plagiarized NewJeans’ choreography. Both groups are under HYBE’s multi-label system—ILLIT managed by BELIFT LAB and NewJeans by ADOR. The YouTuber also produced comparison videos and included captions such as “evidence of plagiarism obtained” and “plagiarism materials.”
Additional content included allegations that:
- An ILLIT manager instructed staff to “ignore” NewJeans member Hanni
- HYBE had ostracized Hanni
- ILLIT debuted with inadequate live performance skills
- The group’s styling was “regressive” or inappropriate
- HYBE Sought ₩300 Million in Damages
HYBE filed the lawsuit in December 2024, seeking ₩300 million (approximately $220,000 USD) in damages.
During the trial, HYBE argued that the YouTuber:
Defamed the company by presenting false claims as fact
Spread unverified allegations of plagiarism and internal misconduct
Misrepresented the company as forcing inappropriate concepts on underage artists
The defense countered that the videos merely expressed opinions about the idol industry and did not constitute false factual claims. Mr. A also argued that, as a large corporation, HYBE’s social reputation could not have been significantly harmed by content from an individual YouTuber.
Court Rejects “Opinion” Defense
The court rejected this argument, ruling that the videos went beyond opinion and included unverified claims presented as factual assertions.
Regarding the plagiarism allegations, the court stated that while media coverage confirmed the existence of controversy, there was no evidence substantiating that ILLIT had copied NewJeans’ choreography. Despite this, Mr. A published videos without adequately confirming the facts.
The court also referenced a prior October 2025 ruling affirming the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract with ADOR, noting that there was insufficient evidence to support claims that Hanni had been told to “ignore” or had been subjected to workplace exclusion.
High View Counts Factored Into Liability
The court further determined that videos criticizing ILLIT’s performance and concept constituted defamatory content against both the group and HYBE.
It noted that the videos amassed between 100,000 and 8 million views, concluding that they contributed to reputational harm and interfered with business operations.
Damages Reduced but Liability Upheld
While the court acknowledged HYBE’s claims, it awarded only ₩15 million (approximately $11,000 USD) in damages—significantly lower than the ₩300 million sought.
The court stated that the amount was determined based on:
- The nature and content of the videos
- The frequency and repetition of postings
- HYBE’s position within the entertainment industry
- The total number of views generated
Ruling Finalized Without Appeal
The decision has been finalized, as neither party filed an appeal.
