Virtual idol group PLAVE is facing accusations of copying Seventeen in their latest teaser poster.
On January 20, PLAVE posted a teaser poster for their upcoming third mini-album 'Caligo Part 1,' set to be released on February 3, on their official social media accounts.
Shortly after its release, some Seventeen fans claimed that the poster closely resembled the promotional material for Seventeen members Jeonghan and Wonwoo's single 'This Man,' which was released in June 2024.
Fans pointed to several similarities and commented, "The 'wanted poster' concept shared by both designs," "The black-and-white, newspaper-style design with similar fonts," and "PLAVE’s key tagline, 'Have You Seen This Boy?' resembles Seventeen’s 'Have You Ever Seen This Man?' "
The controversy has sparked divided opinions on online communities. Some stated that the similarities are undeniable, while others believe that the "wanted poster" concept is common in the K-pop industry and has been used by many artists in the past. While the similarities may be noticeable, many suggest a thorough investigation is needed before labeling it plagiarism.
In response, PLAVE’s agency, VLAST Entertainment, clarified, “The poster was created to align with the album’s concept and is not a copy of any other artist’s or work’s content.”
This incident reflects the growing number of plagiarism accusations in K-pop, extending beyond music to include concepts, choreography, and design. For instance, in November last year, rookie girl group IZNA faced backlash when their debut album design was criticized for resembling NewJeans’ 'OMG.' The agency later apologized and completely redesigned the album before its release.
Similarly, Belift Lab’s girl group ILLIT was accused of plagiarizing NewJeans’ choreography and concept, escalating to a legal dispute with Min Hee Jin, the former CEO of ADOR. At the first hearing held on January 10 at the Seoul Central District Court, both sides presented opposing arguments. Belift Lab defended the choreography by stating, “The similarity comes from martial arts-inspired moves, which are common in girl group choreography.”
Critic Lim Hee Yoon commented, “K-pop fans actively consume not only the music but also the visual content such as choreography, music videos, and teaser images, which makes these types of plagiarism controversies more likely.” He added, “As the number of active groups and additional content increases, disputes like this will only grow. Thorough pre-release verification by agencies is the only way to mitigate such issues.”
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