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NewJeans Accuses ILLIT of Plagiarism in Choreography, Hanbok Concept, and Branding
🕑 Added 2025-03-07 05:10:12 +0000 UTCOn the morning of the 7th, the 50th Civil Affairs Department of the Seoul Central District Court held a hearing regarding an injunction filed by ADOR against the members of NewJeans (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein). The injunction seeks to preserve ADOR’s status as the group’s management agency and prevent the members from independently signing advertising contracts.
NewJeans Alleges HYBE Attempted to Replace Them with ILLIT
During the hearing, NewJeans accused HYBE of launching ILLIT as a direct imitation of their group, attempting to diminish NewJeans' brand value and replace them.
They stated, “HYBE launched ILLIT as a carbon copy of NewJeans. The entire concept was designed to replicate our success. We even received a tip from an internal HYBE employee confirming this.”
NewJeans further argued that their creative direction was deliberately copied, stating, “There are already articles highlighting the striking similarities between NewJeans and ILLIT, despite debuting three years apart. If you compare their planning documents, the structure, templates, literature, and concepts are too similar to be a coincidence.”
Hanbok Concept and Styling Similarities
NewJeans also compared their hanbok-themed photoshoots with ILLIT’s, arguing that the similarities were too obvious to ignore.
They claimed, “At first glance, it’s difficult to distinguish which images belong to NewJeans and which belong to ILLIT. We question whether it was necessary to replicate the same colors, concepts, and even textures. The concerns were not first raised by ADOR or our parents—they were first pointed out by fans, who reacted strongly, saying, ‘This is just too much.’”
NewJeans further pointed out similarities in teaser images, official event appearances, styling, and choreography, insisting that ILLIT’s concepts closely mirrored theirs.
Choreography Plagiarism Claims
Regarding NewJeans’ debut song "Attention," they stated, “Whenever fans think of ‘Attention,’ they immediately recognize this signature move.” To support their argument, NewJeans showed a video of the song’s point choreography and then compared it side by side with ILLIT’s dance moves, alleging a clear case of plagiarism.
The members claimed, “Some people have even said, ‘This is clearly NewJeans’ signature move, but it seems like ILLIT is merely paying homage.’ However, neither ADOR nor NewJeans ever gave permission for this choreography to be copied. ILLIT used an almost identical routine without authorization, and even entertainment experts have pointed it out.”
HYBE’s Response and Legal Battle
NewJeans also accused HYBE of diverting attention from these plagiarism claims by launching a large-scale audit of Min Hee-jin and filing a multi-billion won lawsuit against her through Belift Lab.
They stated, “HYBE conveniently shifted focus by auditing Min Hee-jin and manipulating the media narrative. Belift Lab then sued her for damages worth several billion won. Meanwhile, HYBE continues to say, ‘We don’t know if it’s plagiarism, but let’s wait for the truth to be revealed in court.’”
The Ongoing Legal Battle Between ADOR and NewJeans
The injunction aims to reinforce ADOR’s status as NewJeans’ exclusive management company until a ruling is made in the "Exclusive Contract Validity Confirmation Lawsuit," which ADOR filed at the Seoul Central District Court on December 3, 2023. The injunction also seeks to prevent NewJeans from independently engaging in advertising contracts or promotional activities without ADOR’s approval.
NewJeans and ADOR have been embroiled in a contract dispute since November 2023. On November 28, NewJeans held an emergency press conference, declaring, "After midnight on the 28th, our exclusive contract with ADOR ends." They demanded contract termination, introduced a new stage name, 'NJZ,' and launched independent activities. The group also announced the release of a new song at ComplexCon in Hong Kong on the 23rd.
However, ADOR maintains that the group’s exclusive contract remains valid until July 31, 2029. As a result, on December 3, 2023, ADOR filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the contract. On January 6, 2024, ADOR also applied for an injunction to uphold its authority as the group’s management agency and block any independent advertising deals by the members.
https://v.daum.net/v/20250307111728818
Comments
Sylvia
For everyone’s sake, I hope this is settled soon. This feels like it’s been going through the litigation process for years. I think the best outcome is to give them an out where they have to pay the penalty. It should be a hefty penalty seeing as how much was invested into the group, along with how much damage they’ve caused the company.
Shon Ro
These claims are pretty ridiculous and I think it's going to take them 20 years to realize how silly they were being. I wonder if they know what a template is? 'If you compare their PLANNING DOCUMENTS, the structure, templates, literature, and concepts are too similar to be a coincidence.”
