“Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk created BTS by plagiarizing my ideas.”

Following claims by ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin that the parent company HYBE copied NewJeans to create the girl group ILLIT, it has been revealed that she also accused other idol groups, including BTS, which propelled HYBE to its current status, of imitating her ideas.

According to Yonhap News, documents found during HYBE’s audit of ADOR on April 22 contained statements attributed to CEO Min in which she said, “Chairman Bang copied my ideas to create BTS.” According to insiders in the music industry, Min also reportedly stated during recent internal meetings at HYBE, “ILLIT copied NewJeans, TWS copied NewJeans, and RIIZE copied NewJeans.”

A large banner congratulating BTS on their 10th debut anniversary is installed near the HYBE headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. /News1

ADOR and CEO Min argue that the essence of this issue lies in the ‘copying scandal’ involving ILLIT and NewJeans. Still, public opinion seems to disagree, as allegations of plagiarism also surround NewJeans.

In an official statement released on the 22nd, ADOR attacked the newly debuted ILLIT as a ‘derivative of NewJeans,’ stating, “ADOR does not want any association between NewJeans and ILLIT. We will never tolerate any form of promotion suggesting sibling groups just because they debuted under a label within the HYBE umbrella.” This part of the statement has also drawn criticism, as NewJeans has enjoyed immense publicity and promotional effects even before its debut, being dubbed as the ‘sister group of BTS.’

Above all, ADOR was established in 2021 with a capital investment of 16.1 billion won from HYBE. This suggests that without HYBE’s significant investment, neither CEO Min nor NewJeans would exist today. There are arguments questioning whether NewJeans could have established a luxurious image from the start without HYBE’s assistance, considering that their debut event was sponsored by the world-renowned luxury brand Chanel.

Fandoms of groups such as BTS, ILLIT, TWS, and RIIZE, referred to by CEO Min as ‘copycats,’ are also agitated, potentially leading to resentment towards NewJeans.