Belift Lab CEO Kim Tae Ho has responded to ongoing accusations that K-Pop group ILLIT copied the concept of NewJeans. In an interview with OSEN, he simultaneously acknowledged the influence NewJeans has had on K-Pop while denying any acts of plagiarism by his company.
Acknowledging NewJeans’ Impact on K-Pop
During the interview, Kim Tae Ho admitted that NewJeans’ success has undeniably shaped the K-Pop landscape. He stated:
“I think that there has not been a single group debuted that has not thought about NewJeans, or was not influenced by them ever since they debuted. I do think that the results NewJeans has achieved are incredible. That is something you have to acknowledge. People have been influenced by them, regardless if it is to become similar to them, or to become different from them. This is something you cannot deny.”
Denying Plagiarism Allegations
Despite acknowledging NewJeans’ influence, Kim Tae Ho maintained that ILLIT’s concept was developed independently. He explained:
“But even if you ask us, when we were making our debut team and deciding on a concept, we never thought, ‘If we make our group like NewJeans, it will be easier for us to succeed.’”
“Just as I have consistently been saying, ILLIT has never stolen Director Min or NewJeans’ ideas. This is definite. We have a lot of material to prove that we did not plagiarize, but we cannot tell the public to read it all. That is why as we have stated previously in the audit, this is a problem that has to be dealt with in the court, and we can only say that we are solving it as such.”
Legal Battle Over Plagiarism Claims
Kim Tae Ho emphasized that the issue is being resolved through legal channels, expressing confidence in his company’s position. He noted that while they possess substantial evidence refuting the claims, it is not feasible to share all details publicly.
The controversy surrounding ILLIT’s alleged plagiarism of NewJeans remains a hot topic in the K-Pop community, with fans and critics closely following developments.
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Source: OSEN
