Are TXT Yeonjun and ENHYPEN Sunghoon's figure plagiarism allegations true?

On August 25, 2025, suspicions arose that ENHYPEN's Sunghoon plagiarized a figure of TXT's Yeonjun. We conducted a thorough investigation into the comparison of their designs, fan reactions, and the issue between labels under HYBE.

 

 

table of contents   1. How the plagiarism allegations emerged 2. Figure comparison between TXT Yeonjun and ENHYPEN Sunghoon 3. Fan community reactions and discussions 4. Evidence of the designer and production process 5. The issue of "overlapping concepts" among HYBE artists 6. What are the future developments and official responses? 7. Q&A: Frequently asked questions about this allegation

 

 

1. How the plagiarism allegations emerged

On August 25, 2025, online communities including Korean media Koreaboo began to point out that ENHYPEN Sunghoon's latest merchandise "looks very similar to a figure of TXT Yeonjun."

 

It all started when a comparison image of the keychain with the "GGUM*" keychain that Yeonjun had previously released went viral.

 

 

 

2. Figure comparison between TXT Yeonjun and ENHYPEN Sunghoon

According to comparison photos posted by fans, the facial designs and shapes of the two items are very similar, and the only differences are the costumes and hair colors, which has raised questions about whether they are "reused."

 

item	TXT Yeonjun	ENHYPEN Sunghoon
Announcement date	During the promotion of "GGUM*"	Latest Artist Goods
Design Features	Round face and distinctive hairstyle	Almost the same model, only the hair color and clothes changed
Fan Rating	"Iconic and cute"	"It looks like a replica of the genuine product."

 

 

 

3. Fan community reactions and discussions

Fans both in Korea and abroad have expressed various opinions.

 

▪️Critics: "It's a complete plagiarism" "Even HYBE members lack awareness of copyright"

Defenders: "They're on the same label, so it's possible they shared materials." "They just used them as reference, but the expressions are different."

 

Meanwhile, a behind-the-scenes video of the production showed that "Yeonjun's figure was used as a reference," further heating up the discussion.

 

 

 

 

4. Evidence of the designer and production process

The outside artist who designed Yeonjun's figure is no longer active, but the figure closely resembles ENHYPEN goods.

 

 

The artist also caused controversy when a comment on his Instagram account that read, "It's a shame your work was stolen" was liked.

 

Some have pointed out that the same mold was reused to cut costs.

 

 

 

 

5. The issue of "overlapping concepts" among HYBE artists

 

TXT is affiliated with BigHit Music and ENHYPEN is affiliated with BELIFT LAB, but both are under the umbrella of HYBE.
In the past, there have been reports of "overlapping concepts" and "reuse of designs" between artists associated with HYBE, and this latest incident is attracting attention as an extension of that trend.

 

 

 

 

6. What are the future developments and official responses?

 

At this time, BELIFT LAB has not made any official statement regarding the plagiarism allegations.
However, criticism is growing on social media and in fan communities, and attention is being drawn to the company's relationships with outside authors and its handling of intellectual property rights.

 

 

 

 

7. Q&A: Frequently asked questions about this allegation

Q1. Is it really plagiarism?
➡ There are suspicions of plagiarism because the facial features and shape are almost identical, but it is unclear whether this is legally recognized as copyright infringement.

 

Q2. Since you're both under the HYBE umbrella, surely there won't be any issues?
➡ TXT and ENHYPEN are from different companies (BigHit and BELIFT), and since they do not share the same copyright management rules, there is a high possibility that this will be problematic.

 

Q3. How did your fans react?
➡ Criticism is prevalent, with many saying that there is a lack of respect for the artists and original authors.

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