Min Hee-jin’s side argues that after she joined Hybe’s predecessor as Chief Brand Officer in 2019 at Bang Si-hyuk’s invitation, discussions about Hybe’s first girl group began, and the N-team was positioned as “Min Hee-jin’s group.” They contend that Hybe’s project documents indicated NewJeans as the lead in the first girl group launch project (S21).

During the debut preparations, the parties reportedly faced delays in agreements, with the emergence of S-team and Le Sserafim following. Min Hee-jin’s side claims that there was a commitment to debut N-team first, which was allegedly broken in favor of other groups. Social Music submitted evidence including the selection process of NewJeans members and trainee footage in response to Min Hee-jin’s remarks about street casting by the CBO.

Min Hee-jin’s side maintains that Hybe CBO walking on street casting is not credible, explaining that casting means selecting members, assigning roles, and branding rather than signing direct contracts. They also argue that Hybe intended to debut NewJeans as the company’s first girl group, with S-team (Le Sserafim) appearing later, after March 2021, and not being planned from the start. As the dispute continues, Min Hee-jin, NewJeans members, and the Hybe-affiliated label Adore and Source Music remain entwined in a lengthy legal battle.

In this context, both sides have presented various evidences and positions as the case proceeds, highlighting the ongoing disagreement over casting, debut order, and branding strategies surrounding NewJeans.