'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAb/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAv/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAo60L/8QAIBAAAQMEAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgEDEQAEBQYSIhUyM//aAAgBAQABPwDRtqy+2ZQhdyL9sw9apei0ABDPcRUZiT+gwXWIWgtVcFD8nfJySfUa/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAh/9oACAECAQE/AA2//8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECIv/aAAgBAwEBPwCHk//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
K-pop boy group iKON's fans have been calling for a change of the name of KATSEYE's fandom, EYEKONS. The girl group announced its official fandom name, EYEKONS, on April 12, 2024. However, it earned mixed reactions from netizens because EYEKONS allegedly sounds similar to the name of the K-pop group iKON, which debuted on September 15, 2015.
EYEKONS is a wordplay representing EYE from the group's name and the word “icon.” However, many netizens believed that HYBE had plagiarized the group's name for its girl band's fandom. Netizens mentioned that although the spellings of the two words may be different in English, they are almost the same in Korean. Despite continuous demand from iKON fans, HYBE has not taken any steps to address the issue.
iKON celebrated its 9th debut anniversary on September 15, 2024, with netizens again asking HYBE to make the changes and acknowledge the hard work of the boy group as they alleged this would hurt them. They took to social media to voice their opinion.
Trending
"RESPECT THE NAME," fans trended on X.
"STEALING someone's identity is not a good thing. Not original. iKON is the original. There are so many words in this world, why steal? Not creative," a fan added.
"We were humbly asking you to just changed your fandom name before you've made it official. And yet, you didn't listened. So here we are, fighting for iKON's rights! The name they have established for years!," a user stated.
iKON's fans continued demanding to change the name of the HYBE girl group's fandom.
"We strongly request that the fandom name "EYEKONS/아이콘즈" of KATSEYE, under HYBE and GeffenRecords, be changed because it is very similar to the existing group "iKON/아이콘 ," a fan commented.
"Please change katseye fandom name because eyekons has similar pronounce like a korean boygroup iKON," a user wrote.
"No offence to the ladies....I thought their fandom name is eyekonS but I don't even hear the S and S is not even stressed enough. So, it is definitely too similar to iKON. The spelling does't even make a difference. I really hope that their fandom name could be changed," a fan said.
More about K-pop boy group iKON and HYBE’s rookie girl band KATSEYE
The K-pop group iKON was formed through a survival show titled Mix & Match under YG Entertainment on September 15, 2015, with the song My Type. The group currently has six members: Bobby, Jay, JUNE, Song, DK, and Chan. The group originally had seven members; however, the leader, B.I, aka Kim Han-bin, left the group in June 2019.
All members of iKON parted ways from their long-time agency, YG Entertainment, on December 30, 2022, and signed with a new label named 143 Entertainment on January 1, 2023. The group has given musical hits like RHYTHM TA, Love Scenario, WHY WHY WHY, KILLING ME, and more.
Meanwhile, KATSEYE was formed through a survival program by HYBE and Universal Music Group named The Debut: Dream Academy as a joint venture of HYBE and Geffen Records. The group has six members of different nationalities: Manon, Yoonchae, Sophia, Daniela, Lara, and Megan.
KATSEYE marked its official debut with the song Debut on June 28, 2024. The group dropped another single titled Touch on July 26 and its first EP, SIS (Soft is Strong), on August 16.
