Belift Lab, a K-pop subsidiary label under Hybe, has filed a lawsuit against NewJeans fan group Team Bunnies for allegedly defaming its girl group Illit.
In a complaint submitted Monday to the Seoul Western District Court, Belift Lab said the operator of Team Bunnies had persistently spread false claims accusing Illit of plagiarizing NewJeans, causing reputational and financial harm. The label is seeking 100 million won ($68,000) in damages.
Belift Lab also took issue with Team Bunnies’ alleged acquisition and online disclosure of Illit’s confidential internal planning document. In addition, the label noted that Team Bunnies filed criminal complaints in November 2024 against Belift Lab executives, after the company publicly rejected the plagiarism accusations — a move it described as malicious and unfounded.
Team Bunnies has presented itself as a collective of professionals from the legal, media, finance and cultural sectors. However, it was later revealed that the group’s operator was a minor in July, when a Team Bunnies affiliate was referred to the juvenile division of the Seoul Family Court for violating the Act on the Collection and Use of Donations.
The operator had posted a fundraising bank account on social media in October 2024, claiming the funds would be used to file complaints against malicious online posts targeting NewJeans. More than 50 million won was reportedly raised within eight hours.
Under Korean law, organizations must register with local authorities when raising more than 10 million won in donations.
Belift Lab said it has filed the civil lawsuit against both the operator of Team Bunnies and the operator’s parent.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
