Belief Lab Faces Backlash for Video Criticizing Min Hee-jin
The agency of the group ILLIT, Belief Lab, is facing criticism for a video it posted criticizing Min Hee-jin, the CEO of ADOR
On the 10th, Belief Lab uploaded a 27-minute video titled “Belief Lab’s Position on Plagiarism Claims” on their YouTube channel. The video aimed to compare and analyze ILLIT and NewJeans to show the differences between the two groups. This was in response to Min Hee-jin’s previous claims that ILLIT had copied NewJeans’ marketing, debut methods, and credit notation style.
The video also revealed part of ILLIT’s planning document. Belief Lab’s materials included phrases such as “NOT NewJeans, NOT BLACKPINK, NOT IVE” and “Girls who love their incomplete today, not fantasies created by adults.” Additionally, it described NewJeans, BLACKPINK, and IVE respectively as “teenagers who are the subject of adults’ fantasies,” “perfect celebrities who are unapproachable,” and “doll-like and princess-like figures admired by all.”
In the video, Belief Lab CEO Kim Tae-ho stated, “CEO Min Hee-jin has sacrificed an innocent rookie group for her own personal gain,” and added, “We will file a civil lawsuit to hold her accountable for the damage suffered by the artists who were silenced under the burden of plagiarism, as well as Belief Lab’s members and participating creators.”
However, this explanatory video seems to have backfired. Mentioning numerous other groups to argue that ILLIT’s hanbok photoshoot is different from NewJeans, and the overall insistence on their claims being seen as far-fetched, is the general consensus. The comment section of the video’s page is filled with criticism such as, “It seems they are only looking at appearances and results, not the essence,” “To prove it’s not plagiarism, they should have presented the planning stage storyboard, sketches, and reference images,” and “Shouldn’t they show the meeting and concept development process?” Each of these comments has received nearly 10,000 likes.
Experts and industry insiders are also expressing disapproval. Music critic Jeong Min-jae commented on social media, “The video exacerbates the situation rather than explaining it,” and added, “It’s a statement that should have been better left unsaid.” Music critic Kim Do-heon also posted on social media, “The Belief Lab video is truly the worst.” An industry insider told Kuki News, “It is extremely unusual to respond to plagiarism disputes in this manner,” showing a cautious reaction.
