Korean producer and singer R.Tee has apologized and deleted the music video for his song “DamDaDi” following accusations that it plagiarized French artist Yseult’s “Bitch You Could Never.”
On October 17, R.Tee took to his official social media to issue a formal apology: “I sincerely apologize for the delay in responding to this matter. I needed time to properly understand the situation and take responsible action.”
R.Tee explained that the production had relied entirely on the director’s storyboard and that he had no prior knowledge of any existing similar work. “As the overall producer, I take full responsibility. I deeply regret the discomfort and disappointment this has caused,” he stated.
He continued, “I offer my deepest apologies to Yseult as a fellow artist. I will contact her directly to express my regret and reflect on the ethics of artistic inspiration.”
R.Tee added that the MV was immediately removed from all official channels and that the production team will face accountability measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
R.Tee also emphasized that I-DLE’s Soyeon, who appeared in the video as the featured vocalist, had no involvement in the concept or production decisions.
“Soyeon joined purely out of musical passion,” R.Tee clarified. “Neither she nor Cube Entertainment were involved in creative direction or reference selection.”
He further apologized to Soyeon and her agency for the negative attention, urging fans to avoid directing blame toward the artist.
The controversy erupted after Yseult posted on her social media account that the “DamDaDi” music video appeared to have copied the concept and visuals of her own 2024 release. Both MVs feature office workers suddenly breaking into chaotic dance scenes — a stylistic resemblance that sparked heated online discussion.
On Yseult’s social media, she expressed outrage: “They copy-pasted my work. It’s disgusting.” She also criticized the K-pop industry more broadly, stating: “K-pop has been sucking the life out of Black culture for decades.”
In response, Hong Min-ho, the director of the “DamDaDi” MV and founder of Achilles Film, released an official apology on October 13.
He acknowledged: “It’s true that I was inspired by Yseult’s directorial style… but this was not intentional plagiarism.”
Hong Min-ho emphasized that he admired the aesthetic of Yseult’s previous collaborations and that the resemblance was the result of that influence. “I deeply apologize for the scenes that ended up too similar. If Yseult and her team felt disrespected, I sincerely regret it.”
Crucially, the director took full responsibility, clarifying: “Neither Jeon Soyeon nor R.Tee were involved in the visual production process. They focused solely on the music and were not informed of the visual references in advance.”
He also promised to improve future creative practices: “We will be more diligent in our research and give proper credit to original creators moving forward.”
Despite the apology, Yseult doubled down on her stance. She dismissed the director’s comments as insufficient, stating: “This isn’t about inspiration. It’s plagiarism, period.” She continued, “Credit should go to those who deserve it.”
Released in August 2025, “DamDaDi” featured RT and I-DLE’s Soyeon in a high-energy track blending funk and pop influences. The music video, directed by Hong Min-ho, depicted an eccentric office setting that suddenly erupts into chaos — a concept now accused of copying Yseult’s earlier project.
With the MV now taken down and both R.Tee and the director having issued apologies, fans are watching closely to see whether Yseult’s team will pursue further legal or copyright action.
Sources: OSEN, Instagram ‘yseult’, Achilles Film
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