Since their debut earlier this year, rookie girl group ILLIT has been consistently surrounded by controversy, primarily concerning allegations of plagiarism. Right from the start, they have been accused of imitating other groups under HYBE Labels, including NewJeans’ concept and choreography, as well as bearing resemblances to LE SSERAFIM.

Adding to the controversy, when ILLIT announced their fandom name as ‘LILLY,’ many noticed that its similarity to NMIXX’s Lily’s name and the unofficial nickname for BLACKPINK’s LISA’s unofficial fandom name, ‘LILLIES,’ sparking additional debate.

The intensity of the ILLIT copying controversy has escalated to such an extent that it notably fuelled the ongoing feud between HYBE and its subsidiary label, ADOR, which founded NewJeans. However, recent developments suggest that ILLIT is once again under scrutiny for plagiarism, this time due to perceived similarities with a third-generation boy group.

After their performance on Inkigayo on April 21, the K-Pop group posted photos on their official X handle, including one where they formed an ‘L’ hand sign, presumably as a reference to the double Ls in their group name. However, fans were upset because the same sign has been closely associated with the popular group EXO.

One of the most iconic symbols of EXO is their L-shaped hand sign, deeply cherished by fans. EXO-L stands as the official fandom name, where the ‘L’ signifies love and serves to unite the two subunits of the group, EXO-K and EXO-M. While this gesture has been associated with the band since their start in 2012, the image of the ILLIT members using the same sign has stirred discontent among EXO’s fan base, who are accusing the girl group of unoriginality.

It went as far as a fan using harsh tone, calling ILLIT “a group based on plagiarism.”

Meanwhile, amid the plagiarism accusations made by ADOR’s CEO Min Hee-jin, stating that BELIFT LAB’s girl group copied ADOR’s NewJeans, ILLIT’s leader Yunah, on a radio program stated, “We are grateful to all the members of BELIFT LAB. We appreciate the tremendous effort they have poured, best resulting in our debut album. Your dedication is untenable and we are so proud. We are also thankful to HYBE for having trust in us. We promise to work harder.”