HYBE, the preeminent K-pop entertainment conglomerate, has initiated legal proceedings in South Korea against seven YouTube channels. The company alleges that these channels have engaged in defamatory and harassing behavior, damaging the reputations of HYBE, its artists, and its sub-labels, including ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM.
In addition to the South Korean lawsuits, HYBE has sought intervention from a U.S. federal court to compel Google, the owner of YouTube, to disclose the identities of the individuals behind the implicated channels. This move stems from the fact that South Korean courts lack jurisdiction over Google.
According to HYBE’s legal team, the videos in question have made false accusations against both HYBE and its sub-label Belift Lab, including claims of plagiarism involving the K-pop group ILLIT and a female K-pop group named NewJeans. The legal documents, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on September 9, also accuse the channels of alleging that LE SSERAFIM, under HYBE’s Source Music, was covertly concealing its live performance abilities.
The accusations against ILLIT are notably similar to claims made by Min Hee-Jin, the former CEO of HYBE sub-label ADOR. Min had expressed discontent over ILLIT’s alleged imitation of NewJeans, the girl group she had produced. In April 2024, HYBE accused Min of attempting to seize control of the company, leading to an audit of her activities. Min has denied these allegations. HYBE removed Min from her position at ADOR in late August.
On August 30, 2024, just days after Min’s departure, HYBE filed separate defamation lawsuits in the Seoul Western District Court against eight YouTube channels, including “Cute Rabbit Jjang,” “Enterpick,” “People Box,” “Da Issue,” “NewJeans Spam,” “Issue Tan,” and “Wangjam Issue.” Collectively, these channels boast over 270,000 subscribers.
The court documents indicate that the channels have repeatedly accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans’ style and dance moves since the spring of this year. Specific allegations include claims that ILLIT plagiarized the song “Favorite Liar” by the U.S. pop-rock band The Wrecks.
Some channels have named Min Hee-Jin, with one asserting that Min is “on a different level” compared to “the dog guys who have a spoon in the idol world,” seemingly referring to HYBE and Belift. Another channel criticized a news report suggesting that ILLIT member Lee Won-hee sought medical attention due to malicious comments related to the plagiarism claims.
It remains unclear if any of the implicated YouTube channels are connected to Min. HYBE’s General Counsel, Wook Ki Lee, expressed concern over the impact of these videos. “While I do not know how this campaign began, it has now taken a life of its own, with multiple YouTube channels propagating these false and defamatory claims without any supporting evidence,” Lee stated in a court declaration.
HYBE describes the operators of these channels as “cyber wreckers,” defined as social media commentators who exploit high-profile individuals to generate views and revenue through provocative, mocking, and defamatory content. The company is requesting the U.S. court to obtain Google account IDs, along with the names, addresses, and time zones of the individuals behind the channels.
