Girls’ Generation’s FOREVER 1 accused of plagiarizing Tokyo Disney’s 15th Anniversary logo

SM Entertainment has yet again come under fire for plagiarism accusations, and this time it's with Girls’ Generation. The milestone-worthy reunion of all the girl group members for their 15th debut anniversary has been tainted with multiple forums discussing potential plagiarism.

On August 14, a netizen posed a question about how the music video set used for FOREVER 1 looked similar to Tokyo DisneySea's 15th Anniversary logo. FOREVER 1 serves as the title track for the comeback album of the same name. It gives K-pop fans a nostalgic touch, but the set design from the music video has landed SM Entertainment in trouble.

Minute details aside, the designs look similar in several other aspects. Font, text placement, shape, border design, and the use of the sun as a motif were some of the things that were similar in the images.

Left: Tokyo DisneySea 15th anniversary logo; Right: The music video set of GIrls' Generation's FOREVER 1 (Images via theqoo)

South Korean netizens lashed out at SM Entertainment, the group’s company. While some called the designers “ignorant,” others raised questions as to why a top entertainment company has once again been embroiled in a plagiarism controversy.

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Netizens upload an alleged apology from Girls’ Generation’s FOREVER 1 music video director

FOREVER 1, the full group comeback reunion of prominent second-generation K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation, made quite the waves on the internet. The concept stunned fans as the musicians took a road less traveled by girl groups in present times and released a cute, bright music video.

While the music video was filled with nuances, great outfits, and elaborate sets, netizens caught a glaring error in the most crucial set piece. Online South Korean forum 'theqoo' was abuzz with discussions regarding the set, with allegations of SM Entertainment plagiarizing Tokyo DisneySea’s 15th Anniversary logo being a hot topic.

The original post, uploaded on August 14, has already gained 58,648 views and nearly 500 comments. The same author allegedly edited the post and posted a screenshot of the music video director’s apology. It has not yet been officially confirmed whether the apology was from the director or someone else.

Read the full apology below (translation via KBIZOOM):

"First of all, I am sorry for causing inconvenience to Girls’ Generation members and SM Entertainment due to the controversy over the set design for a part of Girls’ Generation’s ‘FOREVER 1’ MV."

"I am ashamed and apologetic for borrowing design without permission when I was commissioned to do this MV and involved in planning and directing as well as even a small prop."

"I searched for a number-related logo design to be used in the 15th anniversary parade set, and found several references. After finding a suitable image, I borrowed it and used it in the set design without checking the source. I confirm that the design is the logo of Japanese DisneySea’s 15th anniversary. I sincerely apologize for proceeding with the design of the set without thorough investigation or confirmation."

"I will research and check more thoroughly from various angles before production to prevent this from happening again. Once again, I would like to express our sincere apologies to the members of Girls’ Generation, SM Entertainment, and fans who enjoyed watching the music video."

The alleged music director's apology (Image via theqoo)

Meanwhile, the comments on theqoo remained harsh. SM Entertainment has been criticized on multiple occasions for alleged plagiarism charges. The groups who had to bear the burden were aespa and NCT DREAM, whose fans ultimately lashed out at SM Entertainment.

Comments under theqoo criticizing SM Entertainment (Image via pannchoa)

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In other news, Girls’ Generation continues to feature on popular Korean variety shows to showcase their camaraderie. FOREVER 1 was released on August 8, 2022.