South Korean news outlet Hankyeore reported that it had obtained HYBE’s two confidential documents through a tip-off. Titled “Belift Lab’s New Girl Group Plan (ILLIT)” and “2021 Team Launching Plan (NewJeans)”, the reports showed striking similarities in design elements and key terminology despite the three-year gap between the creation of these two groups.
Both reports used nearly identical layouts and visual styles, featuring similar diagrams and graphic elements. According to Hankyeore, the resemblance suggested that they might have used the same template. However, Min Hee Jin, formerly HYBE’s Chief Brand Officer, had previously clarified that she personally designed the graphics for NewJeans’ report using Keynote in May 2020. While HYBE does provide templates for reports and presentations, each of its labels typically maintains its own unique design standards. Since ILLIT is managed by Belift Lab and not ADOR (the label behind NewJeans), they theoretically would not have access to ADOR’s specific design templates. However, it was noted that Min Hee Jin reportedly shared her report with Belift Lab upon HYBE’s instruction.
The NewJeans report featured a circle diagram illustrating strategies for expanding into international markets, focusing on K-pop fans in Asia and North America, using “lifestyle” and “aesthetic” as core themes.
Similarly, ILLIT’s report emphasized fostering a “sense of kinship” and “sense of yearning” while also aiming to influence lifestyle trends—parallels that seemed too close to ignore.
As the news broke, netizens quickly took to online forums to discuss and dissect the similarities between the two groups. Users shared side-by-side comparisons of various elements, including fonts and typography styles in official documents, the use of stickers and artwork allegedly drawn by members, 2D character concepts featured in promotional materials, pre-debut sponsorships and magazine editorials, YouTube video descriptions and layouts as well as Chuseok-themed photoshoots featuring the members.
While some netizens argued that similarities in fonts and aesthetics are common in the K-pop industry, many found the consistency across these different elements hard to dismiss. The flood of visual evidence led to a heated debate, with some questioning whether these similarities were mere coincidences or signs of intentional copying. Here are the public’s thoughts on the similarities:
“HYBE sidelined Min Hee-jin and took all of NewJeans’ identity to use for themselves, and even now NewJeans are treated like leftovers within HYBE. Just how much more isolated will they be while HYBE continues to push only ILLIT forward, taking NewJeans’ entire concept and reaping all the benefits? It’s truly disheartening. Stealing the hard work and content that one person and one group created… I really think we should stop supporting ILLIT and HYBE altogether. They keep acting so shamelessly because people keep consuming their content. I don’t even listen to their music anymore—it just makes me so angry.”
“Copycat.”
“Sigh.”
“When you look at it like this, you can really see the huge difference in aesthetics. It’s fascinating, lol. I guess even if you try to copy something, it doesn’t work if the person doing it has no sense of style.”
“Just a knockoff… Look at the difference in quality.”
“Just as much as the talent of the directors and staff is important, the players themselves also really matter. ILLIT’s members are cute and pretty, but there’s a distinct sophistication and ‘hip’ vibe with NewJeans’ members that makes a huge difference.”
“Do ILLIT’s directors or designers have no pride? No wonder they’re being called ‘Fakejeans,’ the Chinese knockoff of NewJeans.”
“It’s the exact case of copying the formula.”
With the controversy gaining traction, the public is closely watching how HYBE and the labels involved will respond to these allegations.
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