Min Hee-jin KakaoTalk Evidence Becomes Key in Court Battle with Source Music

The legal clash between Min Hee-jin and Source Music heated up on May 30, 2025, as the Min Hee-jin KakaoTalk evidence emerged as a major point of contention during their second court hearing. While the session didn’t lead to a verdict, it underscored the high stakes involved—not only for the individuals but for K-pop giants like HYBE and NewJeans.

What Happened in Court on May 30?

The Seoul Western District Court’s 12th Civil Division gathered for the second round of a damages lawsuit, where Source Music is demanding 500 million KRW from Min Hee-jin for defamation and business obstruction. The company had reportedly prepared a 20-minute presentation based on KakaoTalk evidence allegedly involving Min.

However, before the hearing could begin, Min Hee-jin’s legal team objected fiercely. They claimed the Min Hee-jin KakaoTalk evidence may have been illegally obtained, possibly amounting to a criminal offense. Due to the sensitive nature of this information, they requested the hearing be held behind closed doors.

While the judge didn’t rule on the admissibility of the KakaoTalk messages just yet, the court opted to continue with a public hearing and barred any direct references to the disputed messages. The case was then rescheduled for June 27, 2025, giving both sides more time to argue over how the data was collected.

Why Is the KakaoTalk Evidence So Critical?

At the core of the Min Hee-jin KakaoTalk evidence debate are private conversations between Min and key Source Music figures—including CEO So Sung-jin—as far back as 2021. Some conversations with a shaman, previously leaked in the media, are already under scrutiny. What’s alarming Min’s team now is the emergence of new, undisclosed content.

They argue these messages were likely extracted from Min’s work computer without consent, which would make them inadmissible under Korean privacy laws. However, this defense faces a potential setback. YouTuber Lee Jin-ho claimed that Min herself had forwarded KakaoTalk files from her company PC to her personal Gmail—potentially undermining her legal argument.

The Legal Tug-of-War Over Evidence

Source Music insists the Min Hee-jin KakaoTalk evidence is fair game. They argue:

• The data came from company hardware.
• Min gave consent for data monitoring via her employment contract.
• The KakaoTalk messages were exchanged through corporate channels and aren’t private.

On the other side, Min’s team is calling for suppression, citing privacy rights and alleged legal violations. Critics argue this might be a strategy to delay proceedings and deflect attention from damning material. This isn’t the first delay either—the case was originally scheduled for March 14 but got postponed due to LE SSERAFIM’s comeback.

Source Music’s legal counsel responded by emphasizing that:

• Objections to evidence should have been raised much earlier.
• Similar data had already been accepted in parallel cases.
• The delay tactics appeared to be a calculated move to sidestep reputational damage.

The Bigger Conflict Between Min Hee-jin and Source Music

This courtroom drama stems from Min Hee-jin’s explosive press conference on April 25, 2024. In it, she accused Source Music and HYBE of sabotaging NewJeans’ debut and stealing credit for casting the group’s members. She even described HYBE executives as “thugs” and “traitors.”

Source Music refuted her statements as defamatory. They clarified that:

• Minji was cast in 2018 by Source Music.
• Hanni was scouted in an Australian Source Music audition.
• Other members joined training before HYBE’s acquisition of the company.

Notably, Min did not attend either the first court hearing on January 10 or the second on May 30. Legal representatives acted on behalf of both parties.

What Comes Next for the Case?

The next court date is set for June 27, 2025. At that session, the court is expected to rule on whether the Min Hee-jin KakaoTalk evidence can be used. If deemed admissible, it could drastically strengthen Source Music’s claims. If rejected, their case may suffer a serious blow.

And if it’s proven that Min voluntarily emailed the KakaoTalk messages to herself from a company device, that could tilt the scales in Source Music’s favor.

The courtroom battle is far from over, but the outcome could reshape not only Min Hee-jin’s future but also the power dynamics inside K-pop’s biggest labels. For more news related to Korean Entertainment industry, do check out the link below.

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