Belift Lab has addressed the allegations involving their staff and NewJeans member Hanni, refuting claims that one of their managers instructed ILLIT members to “ignore” Hanni. Following a complaint from NewJeans’ parents, CCTV footage and interviews were conducted, with Belift Lab asserting that no such comment was made. They also expressed concerns over former ADOR CEO Min Heejin‘s stance change after reviewing the footage.
Belift Lab warns they will pursue legal action if the accusations continue, stressing their managers always use respectful language.
Belift Lab, the agency representing the K-pop group ILLIT, has formally denied allegations that a manager told members to “ignore” NewJeans member Hanni, sparking rumors of bullying and workplace harassment. This comes after Hanni made the claims during a live broadcast on September 11th, which brought significant attention to the issue.
Belift Lab’s Response to the Allegations
In an official statement, Belift Lab said: “The ILLIT protocol manager has never made the comment ‘ignore her’ towards any NewJeans members. Furthermore, the ILLIT members have always greeted NewJeans members courteously and have never passed by without greeting them.”
Belift Lab clarified that a thorough review of CCTV footage and staff interviews was conducted following a complaint filed by NewJeans members’ parents on June 13th. The only known encounter between the two groups occurred on May 27th, when they shared the same space for around five minutes in the HYBE building. CCTV footage reportedly shows the ILLIT members bowing at a 90-degree angle to greet Hanni in the lobby.
Min Heejin’s Involvement and Stance Change
Former ADOR CEO Min Heejin also reviewed the CCTV footage on August 14th. While initially agreeing with the footage, Min later suggested that the incident occurred after the recorded scene and hinted at the existence of additional footage. However, Belift Lab explained that it was impossible to retrieve more footage as the 30-day retention period had already expired.
Min’s side has since accused HYBE of intentionally deleting footage, a claim Belift Lab strongly denies. They also emphasized that CCTV footage does not include audio, making it impossible to confirm whether any inappropriate comments were made.
Legal Actions and Future Steps
Belift Lab also highlighted that their managers consistently use honorifics and maintain a respectful tone with all celebrities. They warned that false accusations have caused severe mental distress to their staff and made it clear they would take legal action if the accusations persist and harm the reputation of their team members.
Belift Lab stated they had sent two official responses to ADOR in August and September and requested an apology from both Hanni and ADOR. No response has been received to date. If the situation worsens, the agency said it would pursue all necessary legal avenues to protect its staff and artists.
Below is Belift Lab’s official statement in full:
Belift Lab Official Statement
Hello, this is Belift Lab.
Regarding the October 7th article in Ilgan Sports, we would like to share Belift Lab’s official position.
We strongly demand an immediate halt to the baseless accusations of plagiarism and the unfounded personnel issues aimed at defaming our rookie artists.
The ILLIT protocol manager has never made the comment “ignore her” towards any NewJeans members. ILLIT members have also never passed by NewJeans members without greeting them.
This was confirmed through a review of CCTV footage and interviews conducted with ILLIT members and staff following a complaint raised by NewJeans members’ parents on June 13th at the request of Belift Lab.
The only encounter between the two groups occurred on May 27th, when they were in the same space in the HYBE building for about five minutes. CCTV footage confirmed that ILLIT members bowed at a 90-degree angle to greet NewJeans’ Hanni before entering the styling room.
This footage was reviewed with former CEO Min Heejin’s team on August 14th. After reviewing the footage, Min’s side claimed that the issue occurred after this scene and suggested the existence of additional footage. However, security personnel explained that the 30-day footage retention period had expired, making further retrieval impossible. Min’s side claims that HYBE intentionally deleted the footage.
Belift Lab emphasized that its managers use honorifics and respectful language towards celebrities, making the alleged comment objectively impossible.
Claims that the footage of the alleged “ignore her” comment was deleted are unfounded, as CCTV does not record audio.
From the moment the issue was raised, Belift Lab has taken the matter seriously, ensuring that all artists and staff members interact respectfully. Despite providing explanations and evidence, new claims have been made, leading us to suspect ulterior motives behind the ongoing public discussion, even in the National Assembly.
We refrained from making public statements until now to protect the staff member, who is in a vulnerable position compared to more prominent artists. However, the continued attempts to solidify false claims as fact have caused the staff member to experience severe distress. The true victim of this situation is the protocol manager, who has been subject to these baseless accusations.
Belift Lab sent two official responses to ADOR in August and September regarding this issue, calling for preventive measures. After NewJeans’ Hanni discussed the matter in a live broadcast, bringing it to public attention, we requested an apology from the member and ADOR, but have yet to receive a response.
If this issue continues to harm the reputation of our staff, artists, and company, we will take all necessary legal measures.
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