The True Victim in the NewJeans and HYBE Drama: ILLIT’s Perspective

Labeled a “Copycat Group” and Subjected to Cyberbullying for an Extended Period

At the end of April 2024, HYBE sparked an internal conflict with Min Hee-jin, the former ADOR CEO, accusing her of attempting to take control and separate NewJeans from the company’s management. This ignited what is now referred to as a “historic feud in K-pop” that has unfolded over the past six months.

Initially, the media spotlight was on Min Hee-jin’s startling press conference, in which she raised various issues concerning HYBE. One of her main grievances was that HYBE had allegedly stolen intellectual property and creative concepts from NewJeans to produce ILLIT.

However, ILLIT did not intentionally set out to mimic NewJeans’ concept. Debuting under BELIFT LAB, every facet of their music and image was part of a strategic corporate plan. In K-Pop, artists generally have minimal control over how their work is presented, with only a handful of major artists or extremely influential talents having a significant role in the creative process. This dynamic is even more restrictive for rookie groups.

Once public sentiment turns negative, it is often the artists who endure the harshest criticism. After facing allegations of plagiarism, ILLIT was subjected to relentless cyberbullying. A large portion of the backlash originated from NewJeans’ fans, resulting in a flood of hateful comments directed at the five young girls, all due to a corporate dispute.

Both HYBE and Min Hee-jin suffered setbacks in their feud, but the group most adversely impacted was ILLIT. Their reputation plummeted, and they were branded as a “copycat group.” The management company also failed to defend the artists effectively. BELIFT LAB exacerbated the situation with a poorly received clarification in June 2024, which intensified the boycott against ILLIT. Many netizens concluded that ILLIT were the initial victims of Min Hee-jin’s power struggle.

NewJeans & ILLIT Not Exactly on Good Terms?

In July 2024, three HYBE girl groups – LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, and ILLIT – were brought together for the first time during the ongoing corporate drama at the SBS Gayo Daejun Summer festival. This event led to a controversial moment between NewJeans and ILLIT.

After months of tension, the two groups finally interacted; however, the awkward atmosphere sparked debate. Netizens noted that ILLIT bowed to NewJeans, only to seemingly be disregarded by their seniors.

Given the existing drama between the two groups, netizens quickly spread various conspiracy theories. At that moment, NewJeans faced criticism for ignoring ILLIT. Some fans defended NewJeans, arguing that it was understandable for them not to acknowledge a group perceived as their copy. However, it became evident that NewJeans’ treatment of ILLIT was far from amicable.

A while later, NewJeans sparked a social media uproar when they openly declared dissatisfaction with HYBE. On the afternoon of September 11th, NewJeans launched their own YouTube account, “nwjns,” streaming for 20 minutes to voice their stance on Min Hee-jin’s removal from ADOR. The group not only acknowledged Min Hee-jin’s irreplaceable role and demanded her reinstatement by September 25th, but also hinted at being “silently mistreated” within the company.

Specifically, member Hanni recounted instances of being ignored by fellow artists at the company, saying that their manager instructed others to “just ignore her.” Following this revelation, NewJeans fans began examining which artists may have snubbed Hanni. Many targeted the accounts of HYBE girl groups like LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT, inundating them with negative comments and demanding explanations, turning social media into a “witch hunt.”

ILLIT, bearing the most “history” with NewJeans, became the primary target. On September 12th, HYBE released CCTV footage showing that ILLIT and Hanni had greeted each other normally, attempting to shield ILLIT from further backlash. Nevertheless, due to Hanni’s ambiguous accusations, ILLIT faced unwarranted blame without evidence supporting that they had ignored their seniors.

Enduring the “Double Standards” of Netizens

In the continuous media clash between Min Hee-jin and HYBE, both NewJeans and ILLIT are “innocent parties” trapped in the middle.

Netizens often advise against being overly critical of NewJeans, emphasizing the girls’ youth. However, this seems to overlook the fact that ILLIT members are also quite young. Fans of ILLIT have come to a painful realization: in similar situations, they will face relentless condemnation.

Having debuted for just over six months, ILLIT has encountered more controversies than many established groups. Both ILLIT and NewJeans are victims of the internal power struggles within the corporation.

However, in another light, ILLIT has also become a target of NewJeans’ more extreme fans and the evident “double standards” of netizens.

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