NewJeans and ILLIT’s Plagiarism Dispute Reignites Following Min Hee Jin’s Legal Victory

HYBE faces fresh plagiarism heat over NewJeans concept

The controversy began after a recent court ruling in a ₩25.5 billion KRW ($17.6 million USD) lawsuit where former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin won against HYBE. HYBE said they’ll appeal the verdict.

But the spotlight shifted back to plagiarism claims. The court noted:

“BELIFT LAB failed to provide further evidence to support the claim that the two groups are not similar, and it’s difficult to say that the controversy has completely subsided.”

This reignited online debates over ILLIT and NewJeans‘s near-identical concepts, designs, and choreography. Netizens agreed the similarities were obvious.

Fans and netizens flooded forums with comments like:

“If you have eyes, can’t you see how similar they are?”
“Even if you showed this to someone who doesn’t know either of the groups, they would tell you they are similar.”
“Even if they plagiarize, it’s NewJeans for the win.”
“They totally copied them.”
“If you watch the dance compilation clips, it’s total plagiarism.”
“If they didn’t want this to get out, they shouldn’t have taken the planning proposal. They’re talking too much when they’re the ones who took the director’s blueprint.”
“They really went overboard.”

Screenshots and comparisons spread fast, showing side-by-side concept and choreography resemblances:

K-Netizens commented that even casual viewers could spot the copying. The court’s statement about lack of evidence from BELIFT LAB only added fuel to the fire.

HYBE’s legal battle isn’t just about the money now — plagiarism accusations are hitting them hard, and fans are watching closely.

More updates expected as HYBE follows through on their appeal.