Min Heejin's side: "Does BELIFT Lab not think of the damages they caused to NewJeans? ... They're using ILLIT as their shield"

 

StarNews | Journalist Yoon Sanggeun

https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/108/0003283379

Min Heejin stated her position on the lawsuit regarding 'ILLIT Plagiarism Controversy'

The 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court will hold the first hearing for the damages lawsuit worth 2 Billion KRW, that was filed by BELIFT Lab against former CEO Min Heejin, on January 10. The court has reviewed the opinions from both sides and confirmed the schedule for the trial. During this process, it is said that BELIFT Lab requested a prompt trial by submitting a schedule designation application and also claimed that Min Heejin's side purposely delayed the proceedings.

In response, a representative of Min Heejin told Star News on the 18th, "Despite the testimony from HYBE internal whistleblower and clear similarities, (BELIFT Lab) is still denying the allegations and misleading public opinion." They added, "It's HYBE and BELIFT Lab who brought an issue that could've been resolved internally to the public, spreading numerous falsehoods, obstructing business, and defamation." They continued, "Without considering the damage caused to NewJeans, they have pushed a rookie artist forward as a shield while claiming business obstruction. They should reflect on who is truly responsible for these actions."

theqoo

-But honestly, she didn't say anything wrong. Why is BELIFT Lab using ILLIT as their shield?

-When is this company going down? Instead of admitting their mistakes, they just keep stressing people out with lawsuits and manipulating the media.

-Sop using young female idols as your shields. Bang Sihyuk, step out and speak for yourself.

-ILLIT did nothing wrong. Those babies are so pitiful.

-Bang is hiding behind BELIFT Lab and BELIFT Lab is hiding behind ILLIT. Same old tactics.

-Min Heejin seems to care more about ILLIT than BELIFT Lab doesㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-HYBE is causing all this mess because they're insisting to run a label even when they don't have what it takes to run one. I just don't get it.

-ILLIT and NewJeans are suffering huge damages because of certain people, yet they still haven't realized that. I don't know if they're really that clueless or they're just pretending not to know, though.

-And she still doesn't think about the damage she caused?... You still haven't changed, Min Heejin.

-That's true. Stop using young girls as your shields and come forward, you Ahjussis.

-Even after all this, the fans of that group would still hate on Min Heejin and support BELIFT Lab instead (They claim they don't, but whenever the company gets criticized, they're always the first ones to defend them)ㅋㅋㅋ

-I can't even say that I feel bad for ILLIT since it will trigger some people... But honestly, I feel like watching 50-year-old men hide while the 10s to 20s girls take the this. It's unsettling.

Continue reading Min Heejin's side: "Does BELIFT Lab not think of the damages they caused to NewJeans? ... They're using ILLIT as their shield"

'ILLIT Plagiarism Lawsuit' Set for trial in January ... The damage compensation amount alone is 2 Billion KRW

 

StarNews | Journalist Yoo Sang-geun

https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/108/0003283229

The 'ILLIT plagiarism lawsuit,' which has escalated into a conflict between the former CEO of ADOR Min Heejin and BELIFT Lab, is scheduled to begin trial in January next year.

According to legal sources, the Seoul Western District Court’s 12th Civil Division will hold the first hearing on January 10 or the damages suit filed by Belift Lab against Min Heejin. One of the things that grabs attention the most is the fact that BELIFT Lab demands a compensation amount of 2 Billion KRW.

BELIFT Lab filed the lawsuit in June, refuting claims that ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans' planned concepts. BELIFT Lab stated, "ILLIT's branding strategy and concept were finalized and shared internally on 21 July 2023. The so-called 'plan' that the informant talked about was actually sent later on 28 August 2023. Therefore, it couldn't have influenced ILLIT's concept."

Previously, Min Heejin raised the matter during a court hearing for an injunction involving HYBE's voting rights, where she said, "ILLIT plagiarized NewJeans," and disclosed a testimony from a HYBE employee. That employee said that ILLIT's creative director had access to NewJeans' planning proposal from the conceptualization stage and that ILLIT and NewJeans' planned concepts were identical. The employee even said, "I never imagined they would make it exactly the same."

In addition to the lawsuit, BELIFT Lab also revealed that they have filed criminal complaints against Min Heejin for obstruction of business and defamation by claiming unilateral false information about the company and ILLIT. The company stated, "Min Heejin has sacrificed an innocent rookie group for her personal gain. I express my deepest regret for the significant harm she caused to the cultural industry by distorting and cherry-picking facts for her personal gain. If this behavior is not corrected, this will greatly reduce the creative activities of countless creators. And Min Heejin will never be free." 

theqoo

-Are they comedians or what?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ It's really hilarious. They're doing this when they're the ones who did the plagiarismㅋㅋ

-Fighting ILLIT.

-They have no conscience at allㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-They're truly the definition of 'shameless'

-They're the ones who filed a lawsuit?ㅋㅋㅋ

-This is way beyond shameless... So low and cheap of them.

-I clicked on this post thinking that Min Heejin was the one who sued them.

-Seriously, go bankrupt already.

-Shameless, crazy bastards.

-I'm rooting for Min Heejin and NewJeans. Fighting!!!!

-NewJeans' activities got blocked because of them. This is pissing me off.

-Where did their conscience go?

-ILLIT filed a plagiarism lawsuit against Min Heejin?????????? They must be crazy. They absolutely have no conscience.

-It wasn't NewJeans' side that filed the lawsuit...?

-You're saying... ADOR didn't file the lawsuit against BELIFT Lab, but the other way around...?

-Who's suing whom again...

Continue reading 'ILLIT Plagiarism Lawsuit' Set for trial in January ... The damage compensation amount alone is 2 Billion KRW

HYBE's biggest enemy seems to be their past selves, just look at BELIFT Lab's statement about the CCTV error from yesterday

 

It's ridiculous how they claim that the CCTV footage only stored for 30 days

Do you remember when the news came out on May 13th about Bang Si-hyuk not receiving a greeting?

That report, which also mentioned Park Jiwon’s excuse about having face blindness? That report which mentioned the remark of the generation.

Right after that report, on May 14th, Dispatch published this:

"According to Dispatch's confirmation, the incident of (Bang Sihyuk) ignoring the greeting actually happened. At the time, member A held the company elevator. Inside was Chairman Bang Sihyuk, riding alone. Member A lowered her head and entered."

When exactly was this captured on CCTV?

They said they only store CCTV footage for 30 days. So, does it mean it was captured on CCTV between April 15 and the report date of May 14?

No.

NewJeans' parents reported this incident specifically on March 31 (Article link).

Which means, it's clear that this elevator incident happened before March 31.

Why, then, was Dispatch able to confirm the CCTV footage after 45 days, well beyond the supposed 30-day retention period?

Why lie about something that could be easily exposed like this?

Anyone who has managed CCTV knows that CCTV footage is always kept for longer.

Especially with motion-detection CCTV, footage is usually stored for up to 90 days.

Please, just stick to one story.

theqoo

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Caught red-handed, huh?

-Where did Dispatch say they confirmed the CCTV?

-Since they always lie whenever they open their mouths, it's just right to ignore them.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Get your story straight.

-As expected. I didn't believe them anywayㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ If they still go around saying that, I'm gonna show them the article from Dispatchㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-At this point, they're just ridiculous. Lies flow out everytime they open their mouths.

-Reading HYBE's statement is just a waste of time.

-Caught red-handed lying again?? Tsk tsk.

-As expected, HYBE (BELIFT Lab) always lies whenever they open their mouths.

-There’s no way a building of that size wouldn’t have a backup server for the CCTV...

-I believe what the parents said because HYBE has never refuted what the parents said.

-Of course, they're doing media play because they don't want to get exposed. The ones who believe that the CCTV footage automatically gets deleted after 30 days are only those who are on HYBE's side.

-Both HYBE and BELIFT Lab always lie every time they open their mouths.

-Rightㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ They're lying again.

-HYBE is pathetic. They always lie every time they open their mouths. 

Continue reading HYBE's biggest enemy seems to be their past selves, just look at BELIFT Lab's statement about the CCTV error from yesterday

BE:LIFT Lab, "ILLIT's manager didn't say 'Ignore her' when they see Hanni... Min Heejin changed her statement after watching the CCTV footage"

by Reporter Jung Jin-ri

https://www.spotvnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=707635

ILLIT's company, BE:LIFT Lab, has denied that the group's manager ever told ILLIT to ignore NewJeans' Hanni.

On the 7th, BE:LIFT Lab stated, "The staff member (manager) that's in charge of ILLIT never told the members to 'ignore' NewJeans' members."

Last month on the 11th, NewJeans' Hanni claimed during a live broadcast that ILLIT's manager told the members to 'Ignore her', which sparked suspicions of bullying and workplace harassment. The National Assembly's Enviroment and Labor Committee selected NewJeans' Hanni and Kim Jooyoung as ADOR's CEO and also Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of HYBE as witnesses for a parliamentary audit.

ILLIT's reps stated, "The staff member (manager) in charge of ILLIT never told the members to 'Ignore' NewJeans' members. Additionally, ILLIT's members never passed by NewJeans' members without greeting them." This was confirmed through the CCTV footage and investigation with staff and ILLIT's members after NewJeans' parents complained on June 13th.

BE:LIFT Lab explained that only time the two groups encountered each other was on May 27th, for about 5 minutes. The company said, "The CCTV footage captured ILLIT's members bowing 90 degrees to greet Hanni, who was standing in front of them as they got off from the elevator." The company added, "When we checked this CCTV footage with Min Heejon on August 14th, CEO Min's side argued that the incident (of ILLIT's members not greeting Hanni) happened after that encounter and claimed that there must be another video."

However, the security company explained that it was impossible to secure additional footage because the 30-day video retention period had passed. Min's side is claiming that HYBE intentionally deleted the footage.

ILLIT's side further stressed that it is highly unlikely for the manager to say 'Ignore her' as they use honorifics when addressing celebrities The company stated, "As they attempt to establish this untrue narrative as fact, the staff member (manager) in question is experiencing extreme frustration and going through hard times mentally. If this matter continues to damage the reputation of our company, artists, or staff, we will take every means we can."

theqoo

-This is so cruel... Even the devil would curse when they see this.

-Ok, so why don't they release the video?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-They're at it again... HYBE has been doing this all year.

-What does Min Heejin have to do with this when the member said that she heard it with her own ears??

-F*ck this. HYBE, just go flop already. Please.

-What’s the point of doing this to NewJeans? Are they trying to accuse Hanni of lying now? This is really disgusting.

-Isn't ILLIT about to have a comeback? This company is really impressive in a bad way.

-Why are they not suing Hanni for spreading false information then?

-I've never seen a company that let their artists be accused of lying just to defend the managersㄷㄷ

-Aren't they tired of using the same tricks over and over? How stupid and foolish do they think the public is to release something like this as an official statement?

-What's wrong with them? Seriously.

-Isn't the group in question is about to make a comeback...? Why are they unnecessarily dragging them into this and using them as their excuses...?

-So, they're saying that Hannie lied?ㅋㅋㅋ They erased the evidence and are now accusing the victim of lying.

-F*ck...ㅋㅋㅋ No one said the members didn't greet each other in the first placeㅋㅋㅋ Stop with the bullshit and explain why the CCTV footage of their next encounter disappeared.

Continue reading BE:LIFT Lab, "ILLIT's manager didn't say 'Ignore her' when they see Hanni... Min Heejin changed her statement after watching the CCTV footage"

Shocking situation between ADOR and Min Heejin revealed today

 

HYBE-Min Heejin's situation began as internal complaints about ILLIT's plagiarism. Now, it has eventually become a situation where ADOR is being 'eaten' by BE:LIFT Lab.

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Who benefits from this multi-label system...?

They stripped former CEO Min Heejin's management rights and reduced her role to a 'content producer.'

ADOR used the separation of 'production' and management' within their organization to justify Min Heejin's dismissal from her position. However, in reality, Min Heejin was not given any control over production-related teams.

All departments related to artists and content creation (including Artist Development Team, Content Planning Department, and Performance Directing Team) were assigned to Director Lee Dokyung (Vice CEO).

Director Lee Dokyung, who is also the Vice CEO of HYBE IPX, was appointed as director of ADOR on the 2nd of this month. The CEO of HYBE IPX, Kim Taeho (Who is also the CEO of BE:LIFT Lab), is the one who filed a lawsuit against former CEO Min Heejin. The work that Director Lee Dokyung (CEO Kim Taeho's close associate) is responsible for at HYBE IPX had nothing to do with production and was mostly related to marketing. The current CEO of ADOR, Kim Jooyoung, also does not have any prior experience in label management, which makes ADOR her first practical experience.

BE:LIFT Lab's CEO, Kim Taeho, is also holding the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at HYBE.

He is the person who appeared in BE:LIFT Lab's explanation video regarding plagiarism that was posted in May, the one who said 'NOT NewJeans,' 'So bad,' 'Puppy,' etc.

I didn't realize it just from watching the video, but he's a pretty influential figure.

At the age of 23, he founded a PR and marketing company specializing in entertainment. He briefly held positions at various places like Hangyoreh, Daum Marketing Center, Domo Co., NHN, Poolus, and others, jumping from one to another. After 20 years, in 2018, he returned to the entertainment industry and was appointed as the CEO of BE:LIFT Lab.

He is currently holding the dual roles of COO of HYBE (previously HYBE Solutions, HYBE 360, HYBE IPX, HYBE Brand Synergy, HYBE Media Studio) and CEO of BE:LIFT Lab. HYBE Solutions appears to be a large division within HYBE that oversees various shared services within the company.

Until recently, he was also a co-CEO of Weverse Company. Among the HYBE executives, he has been featured in the media even more frequently than former CEO Park Jiwon.

theqoo

-The whole situation started after HYBE forcibly seized ADOR employees' laptopsㅋㅋ They extracted all the concepts that Min Heejin and ADOR had planned and everything else, and they're probably using it all for themselves now.

-This is giving me goosebumps.

-Why even have a label system if this is how it’s going to be? And why is someone in charge of management getting involved in producing?

-These old men with terrible taste, no matter how much they try to copy, it’s still hopeless.

-I can't believe they'd go this far just because they hate one person. With all of this chaos happening, it's understandable NewJeans wouldn't want to stick aroundㅎ

-Honestly, from now on, whenever a new concept comes out, I’ll keep wondering, 'Is this something they stole from ADOR?'

-No wonder why NewJeans felt the need to do that live broadcast.

-Whoa... How can NewJeans properly work under someone like that?

-Even the devil would seem less evil compared to this. They're pure evil.

-I hope NewJeans can safely part ways with them.

-What a total mess.

-I'm worried they might have even stolen what NewJeans was preparing.

-Oh Gosh... I can't imagine how hard it must be for the girls....ㅠㅠ

Continue reading Shocking situation between ADOR and Min Heejin revealed today

BELIFT Lab adds English, Japanese, and Chinese subtitles to 'That video'

theqoo

-Embarrassing our country to the whole world... Let's f*cking go...

-What a disgrace to our country. There are suddenly ads in that video, what the hell?

-The subtitle came late than I expected. It seemed like they created that video to target international fans from the beginning. It might not work in South Korea, but they have a lot of defenders among international fans. 

-Looks like they will be receiving hate comments from around the world now, thenㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ But why???

-When will they come to their senses? Oh my goodness..

-These shameful people don't even know how to be ashamed...

-The translator must be laughing.

-I feel so ashamed to see this...

-Do they think foreigners are stupid??

-What a national disgrace...

-Wow, they really value their pride over their own artist... Are they abandoning ILLIT? What are they doing? If they brought in young girls to debut under their company, they should at least provide minimal protection for them.

-Wow... That's very amazing of them, it leaves me speechless.

Continue reading BELIFT Lab adds English, Japanese, and Chinese subtitles to 'That video'

NMIXX's fans reported BELIFT Lab's official statement to JYP Ent. under the accusation of spreading false information

Content: Pointing out the similarity between NewJeans and NMIXX's choreography, spreading false information. 

1. We hope for your company's endless development

2. Through this email, I'm reporting a malicious Youtuber that is spreading malicious propaganda suggesting that NMIXX's choreography is similar to NewJeans' and that NMIXX is copying NewJeans. NMIXX's Love Me Like This (Released on 2023.03.20) is claimed to be similar to NewJeans' Ditto (Released on 2023.01.02). Please take prompt action.

3. The end.

theqoo

-They wrote the email very wellㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Let's sue them ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-It would be nice if the fans of other idol groups that BELIFT Lab mentioned would do the sameㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-I saw the video. It was really malicious. 

-Straight to the pointㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Well done ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-It's a really well-written email, by the way?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Let's see... Bang Sihyuk and Park Jinyoung are friends after allㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-JYP, sue themㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Why do they keep dragging NMIXX into their own mess??? Are they insecure because of NMIXX or what??

-That fan must be a corporate workerㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The style of the email is somehow very familiar to meㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-This is fxxcking hilariousㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-'The end.'ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-I bet this fan is a really great employee in their company...

Continue reading NMIXX's fans reported BELIFT Lab's official statement to JYP Ent. under the accusation of spreading false information

BELIFT Lab mentions NMIXX vs NewJeans in their plagiarism rebuttal video

 Their intention: To make it seem like NewJeans copied NMIXX through these screen captures

NewJeans' Ditto was released on 23.01.02

NMIXX's Love Me Like This was released on 23.03.20

NewJeans' choreography came out first. 

I'm not saying that NMIXX copied NewJeans. What I'm trying to point out here is that BELIFT Lab brings up that one screen capture to make it look like NewJeans copied NMIXX. 

theqoo

-The videos they brought to accuse NewJeans of plagiarism are all different (from NewJeans' choreography). But the ones they brought to deny ILLIT's plagiarism accusations are somehow very familiar.

-They've always had something against NMIXX, haven't they?? They even used LILLY as ILLIT's fandom name.

-Min Heejin and other companies should get prepared to sue BELIFT Lab. They've crossed the lines this time.

-Why are they dragging other idol groups into this mess?? Why drag NMIXX???

-Calling this explanation is just ridiculous.

-These nasty bastards are now dragging NMIXX?? JYP should sue them.

-Leave NMIXX alone

-Why bring NMIXX into this mess? Are they out of their mind??

-Did the company really make and post this...??

-Why bring in other idols, you crazy people?

-It's very selfish and disgusting of them to drag unrelated idol groups into this mess...

-Why are they doing this to NMIXX??

-Why bring up NMIXX of all a sudden?? Ridiculousㅋㅋㅋ

-It's very cheap of them to try to make NewJeans fight with other idols

Continue reading BELIFT Lab mentions NMIXX vs NewJeans in their plagiarism rebuttal video

BELIFT Lab's character analysis of NewJeans, BLACKPINK, and IVE

 

NOT NewJeans | Teenagers, yet dreamy objects of adult imaginations

NOT BLACKPINK | Flawless celebrities who you can't approach

NOT IVE | Princesses and dolls that everyone admires

theqoo

-This is disgusting.

-These three lines are enough to reveal the level of this company to the world;;;;;;

-Who do they think they are to do this?

-Stop mentioning IVE, it's really annoying.

-Their interpretation of IVE shows that they completely miss the point. IVE is all about self-esteem and confidence, not dolls and princesses.

-Dolls and princesses? What kind of nonsense is that?

-It's just gross.

-At least they got BLACKPINK right.

-And why are you calling IVE dolls and princesses, you idiots? They're all about self-love and confidence. Why are you using other company's girl groups for your nonsense?

-NewJeans is popular among teenagers too...

-Isn't it rude to drag other groups into this situation?

-This is seriously rude.

-They seem completely incompetentㅋㅋㅋㅋ What a mess.

-Since when does IVE have a princess concept?? They're so bad at this. How do they even create girl groups??

-How can they describe IVE's concept with the words 'Princesses' and 'Dolls'??? Have they never listened to their songs?

-They must be running the entertainment business with that kind of mindset. What a terrible analysis.

-Describing BLACKPINK as celebrities and IVE as princesses and dolls...ㅋㅋㅋ If they keep doing this, they should just quit the entertainment business.

-BELIFT Lab should focus on something else instead of making idols...

Continue reading BELIFT Lab's character analysis of NewJeans, BLACKPINK, and IVE

BELIFT Lab brings up Mexican girl group, JEANS, in their official video recently

 

'If you compare it (NewJeans' choreography) to the movements of Mexico Jeans' choreography that already existed beforehand, you could say that it looks the same'

From 16:30

The fact that this is an official video statement...........

theqoo

-HYBE. Why are you doing this?

-Gotcha!!!

-They're just blatantly showing off that they were the ones who started the negative publicity...

-Are they confessing that they started the negative publicity?? What happened to their IQ?

-Just how low can they go...?

-It's like they're confessing that they were the ones who spread the negative publicity while bringing up Mexican girl group, JEANS...

-So, you guys were the ones behind the negative publicity huh??ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Why are you doing this... If you really care about your idols, don't do stuff like this.

-How foolish.

-So dumb.

-Are they crazy?

-This only raises suspicions of them being the ones who started the negative publicity with Mexican girl group JEANS...

-At this point, isn't this a confession? Seriously, why are they doing this?

-Wow, this company is really pathetic.

Continue reading BELIFT Lab brings up Mexican girl group, JEANS, in their official video recently

BELIFT Lab releases statement regarding accusations of plagiarism

 

표절 주장에 대한 빌리프랩의 입장
(https://t.co/kooxpL08GJ) pic.twitter.com/5KZDya5nYE

— BELIFT LAB (@BELIFTLAB) June 10, 2024 

Notice from BELIFT Lab

To fans who love ILLIT and all K-POP fans worldwide,

BELIFT Lab has determined that we can no longer delay releasing our statement after watching CEO Min Heejin's second press conference on May 31. Therefore, we present our position regarding CEO Min Heejin in writing and through a video.

The Seoul Central District Court's decision on May 30 to grant the injunction from Civil Division 50 is a decision to block HYBE's voting rights at the temporary general meeting of shareholders of ADOR, not a ruling on the plagiarism issue. It is wrong to distort this decision as if CEO Min Heejin had won a judgment on the plagiarism issue.

Separate from the injunction, the criminal case we filed against CEO Min Heejin for obstruction of business and defamation will now proceed. Furthermore, today, BELIFT Lab has additionally filed a civil lawsuit to hold CEO Min Heejin accountable for the damages to the artists, BELIFT Lab members, and participating creators who have carried the burden in silence despite their remarkable debut achievements in K-POP history.

CEO Min Heejin sacrificed an innocent rookie group for her own personal gain.

One of the ways CEO Min Heejin chose to pressure HYBE was to belittle a rookie group under HYBE label as a "copycat" or "imitation." This involved not only plagiarism allegations but also unreasonable claims such as obstructing their activities. In response to a journalist's question, CEO Min Heejin said, "Now (the media and netizens) should no longer mention it," effectively denying the time and process of the victims who had to endure unnecessary criticism due to her statements.

The belittlement and attacks on BELIFT Lab artists were based on photos and short videos captured and edited from similar scenes, removing the overall context of the content. There was no proper verification on whether the so-called "originals" mentioned by CEO Min Heejin were truly created by her or if they were indeed produced by BELIFT Lab. Raising the plagiarism issue in an official setting without presenting reasonable grounds for copyright infringement is not a responsible way for a creator and the head of a label to raise concerns.

Even though CEO Min Heejin's claims were misleadingly portrayed as facts, BELIFT Lab refrained from giving detailed statements because we hoped she would sort out the issue herself. However, CEO Min Heejin continues to insist on her claims, misrepresenting as if all her claims were acknowledged by the court.

BELIFT Lab has produced a video to present our position, which we now release to the public.

We express our regret that CEO Min Heejin's claims of plagiarism, used as a way to secure her own personal interests, are negatively impacting the broader field of pop culture.

The video produced by BELIFT Lab includes an analysis of the issues with CEO Min Heejin's plagiarism claims and the potential impact these claims could have on the entire field of pop culture, including K-POP. It will clearly explain CEO Min Heejin's unreasonable and fictitious claims, such as claiming random standards like the "production formula" and presenting marketing activities and holiday Hanbok photoshoots—already numerous similar examples existed—as if they were newly created.

Many artists and producers have contributed to the current state of K-POP. The path that was achieved by the effort of the senior artists should become a shortcut for their juniors. This is a cycle that allows the entire K-POP industry to grow larger. One should not block the path so that no one else can follow it, especially when it wasn't even their path, and they themselves benefited from the efforts of their predecessors.

BELIFT Lab is well aware of the allegations against the girl group produced by CEO Min Heejin—that they bear many similarities to domestic and international artists or that they might have used specific foreign works as references. However, we do not believe this constitutes evidence that CEO Min Heejin actually plagiarized or actively referenced these works. We believe that the allegations against the girl group produced by CEO Min Heejin are exaggerated and appear more similar than they are, due to intentionally edited content highlighting the similarities. If acts of editing and distorting information to favor one's own position are not corrected, it will hold back the activities of creators, and CEO Min Heejin will not be free from such consequences either.

Although CEO Min Heejin outwardly showed gestures of reconciliation in her second press conference, she failed to offer any apology or reflection to the innocent victims, including artists who suffered from severe and violent negative comments due to her actions, instead blaming others such as the media. This is deeply regrettable.

Protecting the artists from this incident and restoring the honor of the dedicated members and staff of the project is an important duty for BELIFT Lab. We will continue to do our best to achieve this.

Thank you.

theqoo

-If only they had come out with a new concept, they might have survived. Why bury their own grave?

-So stupid. Their image is completely ruined now. 

-Wow... Why are they also mentioning Oh My Girl and BLACKPINK here?? Even before Min Heejin pointed out, people already said that ILLIT reminded them of NewJeans. 

-The public isn't stupid and you're too old to be throwing tantrums. I hope I age properly unlike them. 

-No matter how much they fought, celebrities are all about image. There's no need to target another label's CEO. Besides, entertainment companies are profit-driven; even if they fight internally, they should pretend to be besties or at least act like nothing happened to minimize the damage they could receive. This is very regrettable. They should've just quietly taken this case to the court. 

-Ugh... I got so annoyed that I stopped watching the video halfway.

-BELIFT Lab should've stayed quiet...

-Why so emotional??

-What's wrong with them??

-Why are they messing with Min Heejin again??

-If they had just released a new album with a different concept, this issue would've calmed down and people would forget about it...

-It's a mess... 

Continue reading BELIFT Lab releases statement regarding accusations of plagiarism

BELIFT Lab's Announcement (They're suing Min Heejin)

Hello, this is BELIFT Lab.

Today, May 22nd, we have filed a complaint against CEO Min Heejin for obstruction of business and defamation, due to her one-sided false claims causing harm to our company and our affiliated artists.

We clearly state that the plagiarism allegations made by CEO Min regarding our artist, ILLIT, are not true. We have submitted evidence to the authorities that proves these allegations are false, and although it may take some time, we will clarify the truth through proper legal procedures.

The determination of plagiarism concerning intellectual property should be based on reasonable standards and procedures, not on individual, distorted interpretations. We express our regret that our artists and members' efforts and achievements are being undervalued due to baseless speculations and false claims.

Furthermore, despite the fact that this issue is unrelated to ILLIT, the members of ILLIT are suffering from severe malicious comments, humiliation, and personal attacks. We earnestly request that the unfounded insults, malicious slander, false information dissemination, and defamatory attacks on our artists cease immediately.

We will do our best to protect our artists and members.

Thank you.

빌리프랩에서 알려드립니다. pic.twitter.com/vJh805iiPg

— BELIFT LAB (@BELIFTLAB) May 22, 2024

theqoo 

-Min Heejin only brought this topic up internally. HYBE was the one who brought this up to the public for the media play. Why blame Min Heejin?ㅋㅋㅋ If they want to sue, it's HYBE who they should sue. They were the ones who created fake news to attack Min Heejin.

-They should blame HYBE for leaking this to the mediaㅋㅋㅋ

-Wow, so shameless.

-They should sue HYBE. They were the ones who leaked the internal report to the media.

-Ok. So who followed that Twitter account?

-What are they even saying? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Shameless.

-I hope they go bankrupt. I uninstalled Weverse and unsubscribed from everything. From this second on, I will only support New Jeans. Everything else they do is just so off-putting. This isn’t a big company, it’s just like a neighborhood business who is run by a petty old man.

-Wow, how much lower can they go? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Shameless.

-HYBE is trash. They tried to accuse her of breach of trust to get rid of her, and when she fought back, they sued her for defamation. Min Heejin, stay strong!

-Instead of apologizing, they sue? This is ridiculousㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-These thieves are so shameless.

-Who’s suing who? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m not surprised at all.

-Wow, look at how shameless they are.

-Shameless. I hope they go bankrupt.

-ㅋㅋㅋ I’ll never support them again.

-Is it okay that their official account followed an account that bashes other artists? ㅎㅎ They should explain that first.

Continue reading BELIFT Lab's Announcement (They're suing Min Heejin)