This article is part of our coverage of HYBE vs. ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. You can read more and is receiving criticism for re-engaging in their feud with .
On June 10, BELIFT LAB unexpectedly uploaded a video titled “BELIFT LAB’s Statement In Response To Plagiarism Accusations.” In the video, which includes an accompanying soundtrack, BELIFT LAB’s Co-CEOs attempt to rid the group of long-standing plagiarism allegations. In the video, the Co-CEO’s attempt to downplay the plagiarism allegations by simply stating that the allegations were a rite of passage for all K-Pop idols who debut after NewJeans.
I think this is the fate of all teams that debut after a group that has succeeded in a specific concept. — BELIFT LAB CEO The company then went on to share their branding book that states “ ” as further proof that they didn’t plagiarize. The Co-CEOs double down on their assertion by stating that there had been many other groups that also took on NewJeans’ aesthetics, and that claiming ILLIT had copied NewJeans was equating to saying ILLIT had stolen from all of the previous groups.
BELIFT LAB continues by then claiming that teenagers weren’t fans of NewJeans and that the group spoke to an older generation of fans who were nostalgic for the 90s and Y2K, before then asserting that it was ILLIT who targeted teenage fans. BELIFT LAB then reveals that one of the many photos that were alleged to have been inspired by NewJeans before explaining the group’s concept. It.
