The latest ILLIT plagiarism controversy blew up after rookie girl group VVS posted an Instagram Story directly comparing scenes from ILLIT’s “Iconic By Mistake” with VVS’s own “D.I.M.M.” The story showed screenshots side by side, tagged ILLIT, and shared a link to VVS’s music video. This wasn’t just a subtle shade; it seemed like a full-blown public accusation.
Once the post started circulating, fans focused on the exact visual similarities VVS was pointing out. They were talking about identical concept styling, overlapping set designs, and scenes framed so similarly. Because ILLIT has already been at the center of repeated copying debates, the internet didn’t waste a second. The backlash was instant.
But the backlash didn’t land on ILLIT alone. Across social media, plenty of users questioned whether the overlap was actually specific enough to count as plagiarism. Many argued that these visual elements are just common K-pop trends rather than a direct copy-paste. Others said that because these kinds of accusations are so common in newer K-pop groups, people only care if the proof is undeniable.
Why the response has been so divided
This isn’t happening out of nowhere. For the past year, ILLIT has been at the center of huge plagiarism rumors, including claims that they copied NewJeans’ style, marketing, and even their choreography. In February 2026, legal filings tied to Min Hee-jin’s dispute with HYBE and Belift Lab brought these accusations right back into the news. By March, new videos comparing the groups’ choreography went viral again.
Some fans praised VVS for calling out a bigger act publicly and also supported them.
The biggest issue in this argument is the release timeline, which fans say proves VVS is wrong. ILLIT released “Cherish (My Love)” in October 2024, using the exact style. Since VVS didn’t release “D.I.M.M.” until May 2025, fans point out that ILLIT couldn’t have copied them. Because of this, many people believe VVS’s claims are fake and just a cheap marketing trick to get attention.
Many commenters argued that plagiarism claims in 5th-gen K-pop now spread so often that broad visual similarities alone are no longer enough to convince the public.
Now the debate around ILLIT iconic by mistake is getting even messier. What started as VVS accusing ILLIT of borrowing its visuals has turned into another flashpoint in a much larger fight over originality, corporate power, and who gets believed when plagiarism claims go public.