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On November 16, 2024, BELIFT CEO Kim Tae-ho talked about ILLIT's reaction to plagiarism allegations, during an exclusive interview with the South Korean media outlet OSEN. He mentioned, as translated by X user @kchartsmaster,
"Of course, the members suffered from it. But in the beginning, because they did not want to burden the company, they said that they were fine, then dealt with the stress all on their own."
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ADOR's former CEO, Min Hee-jin, has previously accused ILLIT of plagiarizing NewJeans. She mentioned that they had copied NewJeans' choreography, styling, concept, music video concepts, and other elements of the band. She further added that she had sent a letter to HYBE, demanding the authorities take stern action.
BELIFT CEO claimed that ILLIT was "shocked" by 'ignore them' controversy
BELIFT CEO Kim Tae-ho added that members were taken aback by the 'ignore them' controversy. He affirmed that they knew everything about the things that occurred during the incident. Previously, ILLIT's manager was allegedly accused of instructing the members to ignore Hannie and NewJeans' greetings.
Hanni previously claimed during NewJeas' guerrilla livestream— conducted through the now-deleted YouTube channel— on September 11, 2024, that a manager from another HYBE label's group instructed their girl group to ignore her. Netizens alleged that the manager was from ILLIT, although HYBE denied the claims.
The CEO mentioned how they had become stronger with time, after facing many challenges and accusations. He added, as translated by X user @kchartsmaster:
"They were especially shocked by the 'ignore them controversy.' The members know very well what happened during that incident. They said, 'Why do they have to go this far?' They wanted to know what they did wrong. I think they were afraid to go on stage after."
He further mentioned that the members have become more resilient, and that if they could go through the trials, they would grow as artists. The CEO stated that they have become mature, and that he felt apologetic about what they had to go through. He further clarified that no one told the members to 'ignore' anyone on the label.
CEO Kim Tae-ho also stated that ILLIT never copied NewJeans' concept and added, as translated by X user @kchartsmaster:
"But if you ask me directly, 'Was there ever a moment when you thought that if your group copied NewJeans, you would achieve success more easily?', then I would answer, 'No'. I will tell you again. ILLIT never plagiarized Min Hee Jin's or NewJeans's concepts."
The South Korean girl group was formed by HYBE's sub-label, BELIFT LAB, through the survival competition program R U Next? The band features five members— Minju, Yunah, Iroha, Wonhee, and Moka.
They debuted with the extended play Super Real Me on March 25, 2024. The record featured four tracks such as My World, Magnetic, Midnight Fiction, and Lucky Girl Syndrome.
In recent news, the band unveiled their second extended play, I'll Like You, on October 21, 2024. It featured five tracks, including I'll Like You, Cherish (My Love), Lykyk (If You Know You Know), Pimple, and Tick-Tack.
