The director of the new music video for a Girls' Generation song was embroiled in controversy over design theft, and the director issued an apology.

On August 14, the director of the music video for Girls' Generation's new single "Forever1", Shin Hee Won, posted a lengthy apology on his Instagram account.

Director Shin stated, "First and foremost, I'm sorry that the controversy surrounding the design of certain sets in Girls' Generation's 'Forever1' music video has strained the members of Girls' Generation and SM Entertainment".

He continued, "I am only ashamed and apologetic for stealing the design without permission when I was commissioned to plan, direct, and even create a small prop for this music video."

Director Shin admitted that he stole the image he discovered while searching for a number-related logo design to use on the set of the parade commemorating Girls' Generation's 15th anniversary of their debut without verifying the source.

"Today, we confirmed that the design is a logo commemorating DisneySea Japan's 15th anniversary, and we sincerely apologize for designing the set without conducting thorough research or confirmation," he said.

In order to prevent a recurrence of the issue, he added, "We will investigate and check from multiple angles more thoroughly before production."

Director Shin then repeatedly bowed his head and stated, "We sincerely apologize to the Girls' Generation members, SM Entertainment, and the fans who enjoyed watching the music video for causing trouble due to our errors."

Girls' Generation, who reunited after five years, released their seventh full-length album "FOREVER 1" on August 5th.

At the same time that the sound source was released, it topped the domestic music charts, the iTunes Top Albums chart in 31 countries, the QQ Music digital album sales chart in China, and the Recochoku daily album ranking in Japan.

Source[1]

NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

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