Belift Lab, a label under HYBE, has filed a lawsuit seeking 100 million won in damages against the operator of 'Team Bunnies', who claims to be part of the NewJeans fandom, for defaming its girl group ILY.
According to industry sources on the 15th, Belift Lab recently submitted a complaint to the Seoul Western District Court, stating that "the operator of Team Bunnies has continuously engaged in acts of defamation against ILY, and we demand compensation for the losses incurred amounting to 100 million won."
The issue raised by Belift Lab is that Team Bunnies has posted various false claims alleging that ILY plagiarized NewJeans, thereby damaging the reputation of both ILY and Belift Lab and causing business losses. Additionally, they cited the act of Team Bunnies obtaining and publicly disclosing ILY's confidential planning documents, as well as the criminal complaint filed against Belift Lab's representatives last November after Belift Lab denied the plagiarism allegations, as reasons for the lawsuit.
Team Bunnies has claimed to be a team formed by the NewJeans fandom ('Bunnies') that operates in various fields such as law, media, finance, and cultural arts.
However, controversy has intensified recently with the revelation that the operator of Team Bunnies is a minor. In July, an individual associated with Team Bunnies, referred to as A, was referred to the Seoul Family Court's juvenile division for violating the Act on the Registration of Donations. A had publicly disclosed a donation account via social media, claiming to report malicious posts related to NewJeans, and raised over 50 million won in just 8 hours. According to the donation law, if more than 10 million won is raised, registration with the relevant authority is required, and failure to comply can result in penalties.
As a result, A is undergoing juvenile protection proceedings, and in November, Team Bunnies posted a clarification stating, "Team Bunnies is a one-person organization that independently operates, consisting of a minor member who joined the total music promotion team in July 2023."
Meanwhile, members of NewJeans, a group under the HYBE label Ador, have been in conflict with their agency Ador since November 2024. After former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin resigned, the members expressed their intention to terminate their exclusive contracts and pursue independent activities, but on October 30, the court ruled in favor of Ador, stating that the exclusive contract remains valid. Subsequently, all members of NewJeans dramatically decided to return and continue their activities with Ador on November 12.
