In the midst of the ongoing dispute between HYBE Labels and ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin, a slew of plagiarism allegations has emerged, targeting various K-Pop acts.

Amidst this chaos, an old controversy resurfaced, reigniting claims of BTS plagiarizing another K-Pop group, SHINee, during their HYYH era around 2015 and 2016.

The accusations primarily focus on similarities between BTS's Young Forever era and SHINee's 2014 Japanese single, "Lucky Star."

Both groups incorporated outdoor, camp-themed imagery, featuring rainbow-colored hot air balloons and members gathered around a campfire in the dark.

Visual comparisons of concept images and shared accessories and clothing further fueled the allegations.

While some argue that such concepts are not exclusive to any single artist and could have been independently created by BTS's team, others recall the seriousness of the accusations at the time.

Korean netizens reminisced about SHINee fans raising concerns, with some expressing surprise at discovering the controversy for the first time.

Despite occurring nearly a decade ago with no significant repercussions for either group, the reemergence of these accusations highlights the enduring nature of plagiarism controversies in K-Pop history.

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.

Source: [1]