Belift Lab Sues Team Bunnies Over Allegations Against ILLIT

Kapanlagi.com - Belift Lab, a subsidiary of HYBE and the agency of the group ILLIT, has officially filed a civil lawsuit against "Team Bunnies", a fandom group affiliated with NewJeans. The lawsuit demands compensation of 100 million won, or about 67,800 US dollars.

According to legal sources on the 15th, the lawsuit was registered on December 11, 2025, at the Western District Court of Seoul. Belift Lab is suing an individual who is known to still be a minor as the operator of Team Bunnies, as well as the relevant parents for perceived supervisory obligations.

Read more articles about NewJeans on Liputan6.com.

1. Belift Lab Claims False Allegations Impact Reputation and Business Activities

Belift Lab Claims Team Bunnies Spread False Claims/com/BELIFTLAB

In the lawsuit, Belift Lab accuses the defendants of spreading various false claims, including allegations that ILLIT copied the concept of NewJeans. The company assesses that these allegations have harmed the reputation of ILLIT and Belift Lab.

Belift Lab also claims that the posts have a direct impact on business activities. Until now, the issue has not been assigned to a judge who will handle it.

2. Background of Team Bunnies

Team Bunnies Fandom Group NewJeans/x.com/NewJeans_twt

Team Bunnies is known as the NewJeans fandom group that is particularly active on the X platform. Since starting their activities in September last year, this group has introduced itself as a team consisting of fans from various professional backgrounds, such as law, media, finance, culture, and the arts.

In November last year, Team Bunnies filed a criminal report against the CEO of Belift Lab, Kim Tae Ho. The report was related to statements made by Kim Tae Ho in a media interview, stating that the planning concepts of ILLIT and NewJeans are completely different.

3. Court Finds It Difficult to Conclude That ILLIT Imitated NewJeans

ILLIT/x.com/ILLIT_twt

In a statement at that time, Team Bunnies claimed to have complete planning documents and related recordings, and lamented the attitude of Belift Lab management, which was deemed not to acknowledge mistakes.

However, in the latest lawsuit filed by the members of NewJeans regarding the validity of their exclusive contract with ADOR, the court stated it was difficult to conclude that ILLIT imitated the concept of NewJeans. This ruling became one of the important contexts in the controversy involving both fandoms and agencies.

4. Team Bunnies Fundraising Triggers Allegations of Legal Violations

Team Bunnies also managed to raise more than 50 million won online under the pretext of reporting malicious posts targeting NewJeans. In the process, it was revealed that this group had not completed the registration procedures required by the relevant authorities, thus triggering allegations of violations of the Donation Collection and Use Act.

5. Team Bunnies Revealed to Be Managed by One Person, Underage

Team Bunnies/x.com/NewJeansSTRM

Team Bunnies is known to be a minor with the initials A. In a statement made 12 months ago, Team Bunnies mentioned that the organization was run by one person and expressed apologies for various shortcomings.

Furthermore, on November 17, they announced that the case had been resolved through the Seoul Family Court with the issuance of Protection Action Number 1, which involves supervision by a guardian as the lowest level of disposition in the juvenile justice system.

(kpl/awk)