Kim Tae Ho, the CEO of BELIFT LAB, has denied the plagiarism accusations involving ILLIT and NewJeans during a recent National Assembly hearing.

On October 24th, Kim appeared as a witness at the audit to address several issues, including claims of HYBE's alleged manipulation of album sales and the plagiarism controversy surrounding ILLIT and NewJeans.

During the session, Democratic Party representative Min Hyung Bae asked about album sales practices, saying, “Are you aware of the issue regarding album sales manipulation? Some albums were sold under specific conditions, like fan sign events and lucky draws.”

In response, Kim explained, “Earlier this year, concerns were raised, and we conducted an internal audit. We confirmed that only a small percentage of albums sold in 2023 were returnable, and we did not sell any albums under return conditions. We’ve since updated our company guidelines.”

When asked about the impact of such sales, Kim said, "We understand the concerns, but there was no market disruption. The number of albums sold with return options wasn’t enough to cause any major market interference.”

Representative Min also brought up the plagiarism claims, asking, “What is your stance on the allegations that BELIFT LAB plagiarized NewJeans?”

Kim firmly denied the accusations, stating, "It’s not true. We’ve already filed lawsuits against former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin, and we plan to reveal the truth through legal channels.”

Kim concluded by apologizing for the situation, saying, “I deeply regret the stress this has caused. As an entertainment company, our goal is to bring joy to the public, and I will do everything possible to prevent issues like this from happening again.”

Sources: [1]

IU recently revealed that she watched her own concert film in a public theater, but shockingly, no one recognized her—even when she dropped a hint!

On February 27, a new video featuring IU was released, showing her inside a car on her way to Daejeon.

She excitedly shared, “This is a surprise stage greeting for UAENA! I picked this location through a ladder game when I did stage greetings.”

Previously, IU had let fate decide which city she would visit after her stage greetings. She happily said, “There are UAENAs everywhere I go. Wherever I go, it's a flowery path.” The game ultimately led her to Daejeon.

IU originally hoped to explore the city, saying, “I wanted to visit Daejeon's pride, Sung Sim Dang, and walk around, but my team said it wouldn’t be possible. The lines are too long, and it’s freezing outside.” She sighed, adding, “So, things turned out this way.”

Dressed up for the occasion, IU smiled, saying, “I don’t get to meet UAENAs in Daejeon often, so I wanted to make a surprise appearance looking my best.”

She also joked about enjoying surprise events, adding, “As long as Hanteo oppa drives me safely, I’m happy.”

But what really caught fans' attention was IU’s unexpected confession—she had secretly watched her concert film in a theater, but no one noticed her! “No one recognized me at all. There weren’t that many people, and it was a weekday… but still! I even gave a hint!” she said, sounding both amused and surprised.

Later, when IU finally appeared at the theater, her fans were overwhelmed with emotion. Some even burst into tears, prompting her to gently say, “You really didn’t expect me to come, right?”

After wrapping up her stage greeting, IU laughed at herself, saying, “Wait, did I just do a 40-minute one-woman show? I must have talked so much.”

On her way back to Seoul, IU reflected on the day, sharing, “It was so cold today. I shook hands with all the UAENAs. My hands are usually cold, and since the weather was freezing, I think I made a lot of people’s hands cold, too. But after touching so many warm hands, mine became warm, too. I still haven’t washed them.”

Her love for her fans truly knows no bounds!

Source: [1]