Fans of K-pop girl groups Le Sserafim and ILLIT staged truck protests outside HYBE’s headquarters in Seoul on Thursday, opposing NewJeans’ return to its label Ador.

The Chinese fan communities of both groups sent LED trucks to the company’s building in Yongsan District. Messages displayed on the screens included: “We will not share any authority, including access to company facilities, with those who have maliciously targeted Le Sserafim,” and “Feeling depressed just by walking near HYBE? The ones truly suffering are Le Sserafim and their fans.”

All three groups are under HYBE subsidiaries: NewJeans under Ador, Le Sserafim under Source Music and ILLIT under Belift Lab.

Tensions escalated after former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE became embroiled in a management dispute earlier this year. During the conflict, NewJeans notified HYBE of its intent to terminate its exclusive contract with Ador, while invoking Le Sserafim and ILLIT and sparking friction.

Min claimed that ILLIT had copied NewJeans’ concept and that HYBE ignored her protests. She also said NewJeans’ debut had been delayed because the company prioritized Le Sserafim.

Source Music and Belift Lab filed damages suits, arguing Min’s comments harmed their groups. Min, in turn, filed charges against Belift Lab CEO Kim Tae-ho and others for alleged defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act.

Malicious comments targeting Le Sserafim and ILLIT also increased, intensifying tensions between the fandoms. After NewJeans lost its lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of its exclusive contract with Ador and notified the label on Nov. 12 of its intention to return, fans and agencies of Le Sserafim and ILLIT began demanding stronger protection for their artists.

The agencies of ILLIT and Le Sserafim also issued statements regarding the surge in malicious comments. On Nov. 14, Belift Lab said that despite some members being minors, they continue to face anonymous attacks on online communities.

The agency said it has strengthened monitoring and will take stronger action against defamatory posts.

Source Music likewise said malicious posts targeting Le Sserafim have sharply increased and announced plans for legal action.

This article from Xportsnews is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.