Recently, many fans of the group NewJeans, often called NJZ, accused ILLIT of copying the dance break from their hit song Attention. This sparked a huge uproar online, with lots of heated discussion and comparison videos making rounds. Even many Korean netizens joined in and pointed out similarities in moves, outfits, and even hairstyles during ILLIT’s recent performance at the Music Bank Festival in Japan. It became intense but BELIFT LAB did not stay silent for long and decided to take firm steps. Read on to know all about it.
It all started when ILLIT performed at the Music Bank event in Japan. Fans quickly noticed that one part of their choreography looked a lot like the famous dance break in NewJeans’ Attention. Not just the steps, but the clothing and overall vibe seemed too similar. Netizens shared clips comparing the two, and the posts went viral fast. Many felt it was more than just inspiration and crossed the line and blamed the company for putting the young artists in a rough spot.
Following which, BELIFT LAB, a label under HYBE, responded strongly. On December 11, they filed a lawsuit at the Seoul Western District Court. They are seeking about 100 million Korean won, roughly $68,000 USD, in damages. It targets the operator of Team Bunnies, a popular NewJeans fan account on social media. Reports say the person running it is a minor, so the parents are also named because they have responsibility.
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The agency says the fan account spread false claims that ILLIT stole ideas from NewJeans. These posts, according to BELIFT LAB, hurt the group’s image and caused real harm to their business. It is not the first time plagiarism talks have surfaced around these two groups, but this legal move shows how serious the agency is about protecting their artists.
Also Read: Korean Netizens Slam ILLIT For Copying NewJeans’ Dance Break!