Prosecutors declined to indict in full the case in which Min Hee-jin, former ADOR CEO who was the general producer of NewJeans, filed criminal complaints against HYBE for obstruction of business, defamation, and other charges.
According to legal sources on the 11th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Hwang Su-yeon) declined to indict on May 27 all the cases in which the former CEO Min filed complaints against six HYBE executives including former CEO Park Ji-won and four executives including CEO Kim Tae-ho of HYBE's subsidiary Belift Lab Inc.
In April 2024, HYBE distributed a press release to the effect that "the former CEO Min engaged in shamanistic management by consulting a shaman on ADOR's management matters, and ADOR's executives plotted to terminate NewJeans' contract."
In response, the former CEO Min filed complaints, saying HYBE executives distributed a false press release that obstructed ADOR's business and defamed her.
However, prosecutors determined that while "shamanistic management" was an exaggerated expression, the content of the press release was not false. They cited as grounds the confirmation in the former CEO Min's KakaoTalk chat history of multiple conversations with a shaman about ADOR's management.
Prosecutors also found no charges in the case where the former CEO Min alleged defamation by false information over a YouTube video asserting that ILLIT, an idol group under Belift Lab Inc., did not plagiarize NewJeans' choreography, outfits, and other elements.
In addition, in the case accusing HYBE of unlawfully viewing ADOR's emails and KakaoTalk messages (including information and communications network intrusion), prosecutors concluded there were no charges, finding the information was reviewed under lawful audit authority.