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Translation:
Announcement from Belift Lab.
To the fans who cherish ILLIT and K-POP fans worldwide,
Belift Lab has determined that it can no longer delay expressing its stance after watching the second press conference by CEO Min Hee-jin on May 31. We would like to clarify our position regarding CEO Min Hee-jin through both written and video statements.
The decision by the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 50 on May 30 to grant the injunction was a ruling to prevent HYBE from exercising its voting rights at the temporary shareholders' meeting of Ador. It was not a judgment on the plagiarism issue. It should not be misinterpreted as if CEO Min Hee-jin won a case regarding plagiarism.
Separate from the injunction, the criminal case we filed against CEO Min Hee-jin for obstruction of business and defamation should now proceed. Additionally, Belift Lab will file a civil lawsuit today for the damages suffered by our artists, Belift Lab members, and participating creators, who have been bearing the brunt despite their remarkable debut achievements in K-POP history. We will hold CEO Min Hee-jin accountable for this.
CEO Min Hee-jin sacrificed an innocent rookie group for her personal gain. One of her methods to pressure HYBE was to disparage a rookie group from the same HYBE label as 'imitations' or 'copies.' This included not only the plagiarism controversy but also unreasonable claims such as hindering their activities. In response to a reporter's question about this, CEO Min Hee-jin dismissively said, 'Now (the media or netizens) should stop mentioning it,' as if to deny the time and process the victims had to endure due to her remarks.
The disparagement and attacks on Belift Lab artists were based on edited photos and short videos that captured and combined similar scenes out of context from the entire content. There was no proper verification of whether the so-called 'original' that CEO Min Hee-jin mentioned as plagiarism was indeed her own creation or if it was a production made by Belift Lab. Raising the plagiarism issue publicly without presenting appropriate evidence of copyright infringement is not a responsible way for someone in a leadership position at a label to address such matters.
Despite the fact that CEO Min Hee-jin's claims have been misrepresented as facts, Belift Lab did not previously disclose detailed positions in the hope that CEO Min Hee-jin would rectify this issue herself. However, CEO Min Hee-jin continues to assert her unilateral stance, misinterpreting the injunction as if all her claims were recognized by the court. In response, Belift Lab has produced and released a video outlining our position.
We express our regret over the negative impact on popular culture caused by the claims of plagiarism made for personal gain. The video produced by Belift Lab analyzes the issues with CEO Min Hee-jin's plagiarism claims and their potential impact on the broader popular culture, including K-POP. It specifically addresses Min Hee-jin's arbitrary use of the 'production formula' to present marketing activities and holiday hanbok photoshoots, which have many prior similar examples, as if they were newly created. This video will clearly explain the absurdity and falsity of Min Hee-jin's claims.
The current state of K-POP is the result of the efforts of numerous artists and producers. The challenging paths taken by senior artists should become shortcuts for their juniors. This creates a virtuous cycle where the entire K-POP industry can grow even more. Blocking this path, despite not having pioneered it themselves, and while also having utilized the paths forged by predecessors, is not acceptable.
Belift Lab is aware of the suspicions raised against the girl group produced by Min Hee-jin—such as having many similarities with other domestic and international artists or using specific foreign works as references. However, we do not believe these claims constitute actual evidence that Min Hee-jin engaged in plagiarism or actively referenced them. We believe that the suspicions against the girl group produced by Min Hee-jin are exaggerated to appear similar due to intentionally edited content that highlights these similarities.
Failing to correct the selective editing and distortion of facts to one's advantage will significantly stifle creators' creative activities, and Min Hee-jin will also not be exempt from this. In her second press conference, CEO Min Hee-jin outwardly showed gestures of reconciliation, but she did not offer a single word of apology or reflection to the innocent victims, including the artists who had to endure severe abusive comments akin to violence due to her actions, and instead blamed the media and others.
It is a deeply regrettable situation. Protecting our artists from this incident and restoring the honor of the members and staff dedicated to the project is an important responsibility of Belift Lab. We will continue to do our utmost to fulfill this responsibility.
Thank you.
BE:LIFT
표절 주장에 대한 빌리프랩의 입장
— BELIFT LAB (@BELIFTLAB) June 10, 2024
(https://t.co/kooxpL08GJ) pic.twitter.com/5KZDya5nYE
Original post here
Comments from theqoo don't have ratings.
-"The video is really long. Who watches a 30-minute video these days?"
-"Is this... official?"
-"For the sake of your artist, just stay still.. Wow."
-"I can't believe this is official ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I should support New Jeans more "
-"Oh my... this is the best video ever."
-"So they're admitting that HYBE themselves linked and spread Mexican Jeans with New Jeans, huh? 😂 They're not just colluding with gossip channels; they're basically one with them, admitting to reverse viral marketing ㅋ Amazing."
-"This ain't it ㅜㅜ This is not how it's done. They're an agency that doesn’t know anything."
-"Wow.. Why are you using Oh My Girl and Blackpink's photos carelessly? Even before Min Hee-jin raised it, the public said that ILLIT reminded them of New Jeans."
-"Wow, this is the official video??? It's really HYBE-Belief Lab that is lowering the level of K-pop in Korea."
-We were slowly starting to forget... Own goal ㅋㅋ."
"Wow, they say they are suing malicious commenters, but they are throwing New Jeans as prey to the malicious commenters."
-"Min Hee-jin kept making requests to resolve the issue internally, but they ignored that and then tried to subvert it by media playing. After it became public, what should she have done? Just shut up and die?"
-"Not being able to stay still should be classified as a disease."
"A large agency uploads something like a Wrecka video."
-"Is this a Be:LIFT Lab Wrecka declaration?"
-"Staying still was half the battle."
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