“Business must be thriving these days”: Fans of IU send protest trucks to EDAM, netizens joke about the earnings of truck companies

Adding to the already-increasing roster of protest trucks used by fandoms this year, fans of iconic K-pop soloist IU recently made their way to the list. On June 28, protest trucks were sent outside EDAM Entertainment, the idol-actor’s agency, to demand better treatment for her. While many netizens expressed their own criticism of the industry, some couldn’t help but joke around about how the truck companies were enjoying a boom in their business.

Criticism especially arose as fans were dissatisfied with EDAM Entertainment’s way of addressing the plagiarism allegations against IU, especially the ones made by the German band NEKTA.

The plagiarism battle with NEKTA had been going on for over a decade, as IU’s 2013 song The Red Shoes was alleged to be copied from the German band's Here’s Us track. The discussions popped up on the internet years later, in May 2023, when EDAM Entertainment acknowledged but refuted the allegations against IU.

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Fans unhappy with agency EDAM’s treatment of IU and her plagiarism charges, send protest trucks for the same

IU has been in the news for repeated agency updates regarding some of her songs being accused of plagiarism. The issue arose on May 10 when a news outlet, Maeil Kyungjae, reported that a police complaint was filed against the singer for The Red Shoes, Good Day, BBIBBI, pitiful, Boo, and Celebrity. On the same day, EDAM Entertainment refuted the claims.

Songwriter for Good Day and The Red Shoes, Lee Min-soo, and BBIBBI writer Lee Jong-hoon also addressed the same and refuted the plagiarism claims. Lee Jong-hoon even mentioned that the copyright claim, if it was to be true, should have been filed against him because he was the composer and not the singer.

This month itself, German band NEKTA raised allegations against IU’s previous and current company, LOEN Entertainment and EDAM Entertainment, for not responding to their repeated attempts regarding the plagiarism controversy of The Red Shoes. On June 21, the singer’s current agency refuted the claims and even provided screenshots of emails to solidify their stance.

However, fans are still not satisfied with how they are handling the allegations. On June 27, pictures of protest trucks sent by the fans of IU were spread on Twitter and the South Korean forum theqoo. The criticisms were addressed to EDAM Entertainment's founders Bae Jong-han and Park Jeong-hyun.

Right picture, top lines: “Edam, the ghost company without any phones and faxes. This is straight up Bae Jong-han's work philosophy on power trip and miscommunication”; Bottom line: "We condemn Bae Jong-han and all of the people of Edam entertainment.” | Right picture top lines: "A lawsuit without any process, ignoring the fans and negligence. Bae Jong-han and Park Jeong-hyun, let's stop now and part ways." (Translation and image via pannchoa)

“Evading the situation and blocking the artist's way. Bae Jong-han's work principles, stop now and let her go." (Translation and image via pannchoa)

International fans had their own varied reactions to the protest demonstrations. While on one hand many believed that it was justified since EDAM Entertainment was, as per them, not able to manage IU, others joked about the earnings of truck organizations amidst all the recent protests.

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Multiple K-pop fandoms in South Korea have nearly befriended protest truck organizations lately. These include the fans of ENHYPEN, Girls’ Generation’s TAEYEON, NCT, EXO, EVERGLOW, and now IU, who never shied away from expressing their discontent with the agency’s management of their favorite idols.