Min Hee-Jin wins defamation lawsuit in South Korea

Min Hee-Jin, the former CEO of ADOR, has won a defamation lawsuit against several individuals who made false claims about her online. This decision from the Seoul Central District Court came on March 19, and it marks an important step in her ongoing legal battles related to the K-pop group NJZ, formerly known as NewJeans. The court ordered at least eight people to pay damages ranging from 50,000 KRW to 100,000 KRW, which is about $34 to $68 each. None of the parties involved chose to appeal the ruling. This victory is expected to help Min Hee-Jin as she takes further legal action against others who have spread harmful rumors about her. In recent months, Min Hee-Jin's conflict with ADOR escalated when HYBE, ADOR's parent company, accused her of trying to take control of the company. As a result, she faced a wave of online criticism, prompting her to file lawsuits against the commenters for damages related to psychological harm. In August 2024, Min Hee-Jin was removed from her CEO position at ADOR. After that, the members of NewJeans ended their contracts with ADOR. The company responded by filing a lawsuit to affirm their contracts and prevent the group from signing new deals without ADOR's permission.