NewJeans’ Performance Directors React To Alleged Choreography Plagiarism By ILLIT

The HYBE and ADOR conflict shows no sign of slowing down with each passing day. Amidst this fiasco, K-pop girl band, NewJeans, has also found itself in the soup. Recently, parents of NewJeans members wrote an email to HYBE over concerns of mistreatment. HYBE reacted to the email and issued an official statement. A recent report has revealed that the band’s performance directors have now addressed the plagiarism allegations.

The controversy erupted when NewJeans accused HYBE and ILLIT of plagiarizing the band’s choreography in a commercial. Kim Eun-ju, one of the directors, took to Instagram to express her frustration, questioning the striking resemblance between the choreography featured in the ads and NewJeans' original work. Taking to her Instagram Stories, she wrote, “Oh? Really? Even the choreography for the ads? I've been holding it in for so long... Can we call this a coincidence? Sure, there can be similarities! But usually, when people take reference, they at least modify it a bit out of courtesy. But this is just straight-up copying.”

BLACK.Q also expressed his dislike for ILLIT’s latest release – ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’. He took to his Instagram Stories and wrote, “Ah, no way... I've been holding back with thoughts like "No way, no way" all this time, but to go as far as copying the choreography for the ads... It's just unbelievable. The process that led to someone's hard work being so blatantly appropriated couldn't have been easy at all…”

The ongoing tension between the groups has reached a boiling point, with ILLIT previously facing accusations of copying choreography from NewJeans' popular songs such as ‘Cookie’, ‘Hype Boy,’ and ‘Super Shy.’ For fans and industry observers alike, this dispute brings to the forefront important questions about artistic integrity and the boundaries of inspiration in popular music. While it's not uncommon for artists to share similarities, directly replicating choreography without acknowledgment or modification raises ethical concerns.  

As the controversy unfolds, the spotlight remains on how HYBE and ADOR will address these allegations and manage the potential impact of this incident on the reputations of their respective groups.