On February 20, 2026, media outlet Sports Kyunghyang reported that messages exchanged between BTS’ V and Min Hee Jin were accepted as evidence in the legal dispute between HYBE Labels and Min Hee Jin, the former CEO of HYBE’s ADOR. The case centers on the validity of her shareholder contract and allegations that her work with NewJeans was plagiarized. Specifically, Minh Hee Jin alleged that ILLIT’s creative team copied elements from NewJeans. According to court records from the Seoul Central District Court, the messages were submitted to support claims that some individuals believed ILLIT resembled NewJeans.
In the KakaoTalk conversation presented in court, V participated in the plagiarism discussion by stating that he thought the two groups seemed somewhat similar. The court sided with Min Hee Jin and ruled that raising concerns about possible plagiarism was not false information but a valid expression of opinion. V later clarified through Instagram that his messages were part of a private conversation and that he had no intention of taking sides.
“I get it. I saw them and thought.. They are kind of similar,” V shared through KakaoTalk messages.
The court further determined that HYBE publicized the internal dispute on April 22, 2024, by releasing information to the press and launching an audit into ADOR to remove Min Hee Jin from her position. The ruling stated there was no evidence that HYBE attempted to resolve the matter internally before making it public. The records also show that Min Hee Jin sent internal complaint emails on April 3, 2024, and April 16, 2024.