That…was definitely not the way to handle those plagiarism allegations. NGL, made everything worse on their part.
On June 10, 2024, ILLIT’s agency BELIFT LAB posted a video titled, “BELIFT LAB’s Statement In Response To Plagiarism Accusations” that addressed the girl group’s alleged copycat claims by ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin on their YouTube channel.
The 28-minute video, which included an appearance from BELIFT LAB’s CEO Kim Tae-ho and other agency staff, talked about the numerous allegations laid out by Min Hee-jin during her press conference last April 25, 2024. Some of these include the similarity between NewJeans and ILLIT’s concepts and choreography.
Parts of the video included snippets of different girl groups such as S.E.S., Fin.K.L., and Girls’ Generation, with BELIFT LAB explaining some similarities and differences in the mentioned girl groups and NewJeans. They also said that having a resemblance to a certain girl group is “customary” and normal.
BELIFT LAB also talked about NewJeans and ILLIT’s difference in audience—with NewJeans appealing more to “a generation nostalgic for the late 90s and Y2K” and even likening them as “objects for adult fantasies”, while ILLIT appeals more to “teenage fans”.
Girl groups GFriend and Lovelyz were also mentioned in the video, after stating that ILLIT did not copy NewJeans’ straight hairstyle and that there were other groups that did the same thing in the past.
Kim Tae-ho said, “I am really at a loss as to how to respond to the claim [by Min] that ‘straight hair belongs to me. Everything she creates is always ‘original,’ and even if something similar existed before her work, she insists it’s not copied. Everything that comes out after her work is considered a copy of hers. This is always the premise of Min Hee-jin’s plagiarism claims.”
Doubling on the claims of choreography plagiarism, ILLIT’s choreographer said that ILLIT did not copy NewJeans. This was accompanied by a side-by-side comparison of NewJeans’ “Ditto” (2023) and ILLIT’s “Magnetic” (2024).
Using the same logic, BELIFT LAB also accused NewJeans of plagiarizing other artists’ concept and choreography, specifically pointing out the similarities between NMIXX’s “Love Me Like This” (2023) and NewJeans’ “Ditto” (2022).
Netizens and K-pop fans reacted negatively to the video, criticized BELIFT LAB’s sorry attempt at salvaging the image of their agency, how they brought back the plagiarism accusations, and for naming different groups that shouldn’t have been mentioned.
Bunnies, NewJeans fans, also started hashtags called “BELIFT APOLOGIZE TO NEWJEANS” and “ADOR PROTECT NEWJEANS” after the numerous accusations and name-throwing done by the agency.
BELIFT LAB releases 27-minute long video addressing Min Heejin’s plagiarism accusations.
Watch: https://t.co/3dJnEOIBXa pic.twitter.com/TFXx2MusNR
— Kpop Charts (@kchartsmaster) June 10, 2024
THE AUDACITY OF THIS COMPANY TO STILL INCLUDE BLACKPINK NAME LIKE WHY CAN'T YOU DEFEND YOUR COMPANY WITHOUT INVOLVING OTHER GROUPS?!?!? JUST WTF THAT'S YOUR MESS DEAL WITH IT WITHOUT INSERTING MY GIRLS!!!
“NOT NewJeans – Object of adult's fantasies even though they are teenager… pic.twitter.com/gn744g2zGQ
— ‘ (@sunnysunlisa) June 10, 2024
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS BELIFT??? WTH?
NOT 뉴진스 10대지만 어른들의 상상 속 로망의 대상
NOT 블랙핑크 다가갈 수 없는 완벽한 셀러브리티
NOT 아이브 누가 봐도 인형같고 공주같은 선망의 대상NOT NewJeans, although in their teens, are the object of adult fantasies and dreams
NOT… pic.twitter.com/r9HqhcZkEq— 1tokki🫧 (@juantokki) June 10, 2024
how is newjeans, who dressed up in baggy pants almost most of the time being the object of adult’s fantasies and dreams while those wearing babydoll dresses are youthful and teenagers ? The men in your company is the problem
BELIFT APOLOGIZE TO NEWJEANS#ADORPROTECTNEWJEANS https://t.co/L0xLPOmE1W
— 미라클 (@miragyu3) June 10, 2024
[theqoo – hot] BELIFT who are currently getting sworn and ridiculed online on all platforms in Korea after the video they posted regarding their plagiarism claimshttps://t.co/z0QMJlmnl4
BELIFT APOLOGISE TO NEWJEANS#ADORPROTECTNEWJEANS pic.twitter.com/Yt3YV3v6oB
— NEWJEANS NEWS🇰🇷 (@newjeansnews_) June 10, 2024
They heal me
BELIFT APOLOGIZE TO NEWJEANS#ADORPROTECTNEWJEANS https://t.co/jqPw7hpAfI pic.twitter.com/ikESNf22vF
— 🫧₊˚🖇️✩ ₊˚🎧⊹♡🫧 (@ToKKii0722) June 10, 2024
Belift just sexualized NewJeans to describe their concept to protect ILLIT in their claims against plagiarism even though the court found grounds to each allegation…
“Even as teenagers, they’re the object of adult fantasy romance” ??? pic.twitter.com/v67ZU05VkY
— nil 𝜗𝜚 (@newjiram) June 10, 2024
the way belift insists illits choreo (the bottom) isn’t similar to newjeans (the middle) while claiming the choreo at the top is what newjeans plagiarized (one being released months after ditto) is such a joke 😭 pic.twitter.com/s7GyRDiUuH
— bee 𖼐꒱ (@j3anies) June 10, 2024
industry experts, multiple judges on the panel for the korean music awards, and creative directors all criticising belift rn
pic.twitter.com/cavaOzcfob— HURT SOTY 𓃹 (@hurtsaz) June 10, 2024
Keep in mind belift had the chance to refute plagiarism accusations by showing anything from the planing stage like sketches, references and ideas but did not, could not. https://t.co/OBlgzEsJTC
— arya (@jxnjenke) June 10, 2024
Who is going to remind Belift that this outfit was very prominent in the Y2K era. Which is the era that inspired njs during their debut. People are still dressing like this now as well. pic.twitter.com/vKiOW9rJso
— Yaya 📚 | Supernatural (@Modanisland) June 10, 2024
well that basically confirms that all those newjeans plagiarism allegations were being spear headed by Belift + HYBE, good job, the set up of the century.
— odessa ꕤ ★ °✩⋆˙ (@hyeindolls) June 10, 2024
illit stans: we want you to protect illit
belift: okay *makes the situation worse*— qin ୨୧ (@illieluvs) June 10, 2024
Belift just sexualized NewJeans to describe their concept to protect ILLIT in their claims against plagiarism even though the court found grounds to each allegation…
“Even as teenagers, they’re the object of adult fantasy romance” ??? pic.twitter.com/v67ZU05VkY
— nil 𝜗𝜚 (@newjiram) June 10, 2024
What a shame, really. Instead of making things better, BELIFT LAB made things a couple of times worse. Hoping for the best for ILLIT and NewJeans moving forward!
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