Min Hee-Jin BACK In Court - Source Music's Legal Clash Over KakaoTalk Evidence Returns After Six Months Of Case Closure

Former

ADOR CEO Min Hee-Jin and Source Music's legal battle has entered a new chapter almost six months after the case was initially closed, as court proceedings resumed. Another hearing in the label's lawsuit against Min for 500 million won ($331,000) was held at the Seoul Western District Court on June 12. The case, which appeared to have been closed late last year, was reopened after Source Music asked for further proceedings in January. Its call for more witnesses to the stand was a major sticking point during the latest hearing, in which testimony became a key point of disagreement.

Witnesses testimony

The company stated that two people, including former Source Music CEO So Seong-Jin, had many things to say about the early development of the trainee project that ultimately led to the birth of NewJeans. Source Music argued that these witnesses had first-hand knowledge of how the group was formed and could aid in resolving disputed facts in the lawsuit.Min Hee-Jin's lawyers objected, saying further witness examinations would have little impact on the case. They contended the dispute is essentially about alleged defamatory statements and that sufficient evidence had been submitted already through documents and previous filings.

Min insisted that her public comments did not specifically refer to any individual when it came to allegations about NewJeans' debut plans or the group’s place in HYBE's girl group plans.After hearing the arguments, the court denied Source Music's request for live witnesses to testify. Judges, however, accepted written statements and affidavits of the proposed witnesses as evidence. The company said it may provide additional written statements from other staff involved in the recruitment and casting of trainees.

KakaoTalk message dispute erupts again

Another key area of disagreement was the KakaoTalk chat history that was previously offered as evidence. Source Music said the court should receive full, unredacted versions of the chat logs, not selected excerpts. The company said partial records may impact the reliability and context of the evidence being reviewed.

Min Hee Jin's representatives declined, saying they could no longer provide full records because the original device that held the conversations was said to have been lost.Source Music disagreed, claiming that any doubt as to whether the messages were complete could affect their value as evidence. It also said it could seek a court order to obtain related documents from one of the mothers of a NewJeans member who allegedly took part in some of the relevant conversations.

Legal battle continues

The latest hearing highlights that tensions between the two sides remain unresolved after months of litigation. Adding to the confusion is the decision of the court to rely on written testimony rather than live witnesses, and disagreements over evidence and interpretation of events surrounding NewJeans’ early development continue to fuel the legal battle.Both sides continue to dispute the other’s claims, making the case one of the most closely watched disputes in South Korea’s entertainment industry.