"They truly deserve better" – Fans react as ILLIT’s reaction to their “hardest moment” since debut raises questions about HYBE’s ongoing issues

On March 27, K-pop group ILLIT appeared on episode 13 of Minju’s Pink Cabinet, titled A Birthday Party That Started Off Sweet and Ended Spicy. The KBS K-pop YouTube show is hosted by group member Minju.

It features guests having conversations and sharing stories. During the show, at one point, ILLIT was asked about their hardest moment last year. Listening to this, the members exchanged glances and chuckled.

The reaction went viral, as fans suspected that they were alluding to the controversy they were involved in with NewJeans last year.

"We as fans already went through a lot so I can’t imagine how ILLIT feels. They truly deserved better," an X user commented.

Later, Wonhee shared:

“I think it was that moment for me, when practice didn’t go as planned. We’ve all been there with Magnetic—twelve-hour days.”

The members nodded in agreement, reflecting on the preparation behind their debut. Fans are praising the girl group for staying "humble" despite past controversy.

Some pointed out that despite facing backlash, they never publicly accused anyone. Others mentioned that the group chose not to address the situation directly.

"They have gone through the worst and they can easily explain the whole situation and name drop someone but they will not because these girls know what humanity is and being humble. Illit you girls will go higher in life," a user mentioned.

"The fact that they suffered in silence while being bombarded with absolute nonsense for a year, oh my babies time will heal all ur wounds," a person noted.

"Yall see how they’ll never go on a coke rant and blindlessly accuse a certain group even though they’ve suffered the worst hate train just 2 months into their career bcs of them? Classy girls," a fan remarked.

Some fans noted that the five-member group laughing about the past year's situation shows their "acceptance."

"You know someone is already at the last stage of grief, which is acceptance, when laughter is the only response to their misery," a viewer shared.

"I’m happy they’re able to laugh about it a little bit! This will soon be a distant memory, brighter days ahead," a netizen said.

"When you've gone through so much in a year that you have no choice but to just laugh and move on," another fan added.

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ILLIT's controversy with NewJeans, explained

HYBE faced major controversy in April 2024. ADOR’s CEO, Min Hee-jin, accused Belift Lab of copying NewJeans’ identity for its new girl group, ILLIT. She claimed their concept and style were too similar to NewJeans. This sparked debate over creative ownership and competition in HYBE’s multi-label system.

"HYBE operates a multi-label system in which multiple labels independently create their own music and pursue cultural diversity through this. ADOR is one of those labels. Yet, ironically, the cultural achievements achieved by ADORE and its artist NewJeans are being gravely violated by HYBE," the former ADOR CEO said.

ILLIT, a five-member group from the 2023 survival show R U Next?, debuted in March 2024 under Belift Lab. The group's agency denied plagiarism claims and sued Min Hee-jin for defamation, seeking 2 billion KRW in damages.

By October 2024, the issue reached the National Assembly. Belift Lab’s CEO, Kim Tae-ho, rejected the accusations, saying ILLIT's identity is distinct and not a derivative of NewJeans.

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As of March 2025, the ILLIT and NewJeans plagiarism controversy is still unresolved. Despite the dispute, Belift Lab's girl group kept promoting. They dropped their second EP, I’ll Like You, in October 2024.