On the 10th, Belief Lab released a 27-minute video called “Belief Lab’s Response to Plagiarism Accusations”on their YouTube channel. The purpose of the video was to compare and contrast ILLIT and NewJeans, highlighting the distinctions between the two groups. This was a direct response to Min Hee-jin’s allegations that ILLIT had plagiarized NewJeans’ marketing, debut process, and credit notation format.
The video also exposed a portion of ILLIT’s planning document, which included phrases from Belief Lab such as “NOT NewJeans, NOT BLACKPINK, NOT IVE”and “Girls who embrace their imperfections rather than the fantasies created by adults.”It also referred to NewJeans, BLACKPINK, and IVE as “teenagers who are objectified by adults,””unattainable and flawless celebrities,”and “idols who are worshipped for their doll-like and princess-like appearance.”
In the video, Belief Lab CEO Kim Tae-ho accused CEO Min Hee-jin of sacrificing an innocent rookie group for her own personal gain. He also stated that they will be taking legal action to hold her accountable for the harm caused to the artists who were silenced due to plagiarism, as well as the members and creators of Belief Lab.
However, the intended purpose of this explanatory video seems to have backfired. Instead of clarifying the differences between ILLIT’s hanbok photoshoot and NewJeans, the video mentions numerous other groups and insists on their claims being seen as far-fetched. This viewpoint is shared by many, as evident in the comment section of the video’s page which is filled with criticism. Some of the top comments, receiving nearly 10,000 likes each, express sentiments such as, “It appears that they are only focused on the surface level and not the essence,””To truly debunk the plagiarism accusations, they should have presented their planning stage storyboard, sketches, and reference images,”and “Why haven’t they shown the process of
According to music critics Jeong Min-jae and Kim Do-heon, the video released by Belief Lab has been met with widespread disapproval. Jeong Min-jae took to social media to express their thoughts, stating that the video only worsened the situation instead of clarifying it and that it would have been better to not make such a statement. Kim Do-heon also shared their opinion on social media, proclaiming the video to be the worst. Additionally, an industry insider told Kuki News that the way Belief Lab responded to the plagiarism allegations was highly unusual, causing a cautious reaction within the industry.
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