Court orders YouTuber to pay damages to HYBE over plagiarism claims

07 Apr 2026, 06:33 by Minsoo-Kim · allkpop

A court has ruled that a YouTuber who alleged plagiarism involving ILLIT must pay damages to HYBE, drawing attention to the spread of unverified claims in the K-pop industry.

According to legal sources on April 7 KST, the Seoul Western District Court ruled in favor of HYBE in a damages lawsuit filed against a YouTuber identified as A. The court ordered A to pay 15 million KRW(~10,000 USD) in compensation, recognizing liability for defamation.

The controversy dates back to April 2024, when a management dispute arose between HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. During this period, A uploaded 31 videos over six months criticizing HYBE.

In particular, A claimed that ILLIT had plagiarized choreography from NewJeans, both of which are artists under HYBE labels Belift Lab and ADOR, respectively. The YouTuber presented comparison videos and used captions such as “plagiarism evidence obtained” and “plagiarism materials.”

Additional videos included claims that an ILLIT manager instructed others to ignore NewJeans member Hanni and that HYBE had ostracized her. The YouTuber also posted content criticizing ILLIT’s live performance skills and styling.

HYBE filed a damages lawsuit in December 2024, seeking 300 million KRW. During the trial, the company argued that the videos contained false information that harmed its reputation and disrupted business operations.

The court agreed, stating that A had uploaded the videos without properly verifying their accuracy. Regarding the plagiarism claims, the court noted that while media reports confirmed controversy, there was no evidence to support the assertion that ILLIT had copied NewJeans’ choreography.

The ruling also referenced a prior decision affirming the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract with ADOR, which found insufficient evidence to support claims that Hanni had been told to “ignore” others by an ILLIT manager.

Furthermore, the court determined that videos criticizing ILLIT’s abilities constituted defamatory content. It pointed out that the videos garnered between 100,000 and 8 million views, amplifying their impact on HYBE’s reputation.

While HYBE initially sought 300 million KRW(~199,000 USD) in damages, the court awarded 15 million KRW, taking into account factors such as the content, frequency, and reach of the videos, as well as HYBE’s position within the entertainment industry.

The ruling has since been finalized, as neither party filed an appeal.

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