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Jeon Somi apologizes over copyright controversy
Jeon Somi, and a still of the alleged scene from the singer's “Fast Forward” music video / Courtesy of The Black Label
By Pyo Kyung-min
By Pyo Kyung-min
Singer Jeon Somi has issued an apology regarding a copyright infringement issue with her latest album.
The singer ended her two-year hiatus on Aug. 7 with the release of her newest song "Fast Forward." However, she faced immediate scrutiny due to copyright issues in her music video. Many pointed out that the animated character in the music video bears a striking resemblance to a character from “Urusei Yatsura,” the iconic manga series by renowned Japanese cartoonist Rumiko Takahashi.
Cover of “Urusei Yatsura,” a manga series created by Japanese cartoonist Rumiko Takahashi / Courtesy of Seoul Media Comics
Takahashi is widely known in the country for her animated series "Inuyasha."
In a swift response to the allegations, The Black Label, Jeon Somi's agency, clarified its stance yesterday, opting to address the concerns by removing the controversial scenes from the music video.
"We came across the news that the animated character in the video resembles a character from another work. After discussing the situation, we decided to delete or edit the scene in question," the agency said in a statement.
"We sincerely apologize for not reviewing the production more carefully, which caused concern," they added.
Meanwhile, Jeon Somi's EP album's title track "Fast Forward" music video achieved 10 million views in less than a day after being released. Her new album “GAME PLAN” also went to number one on the iTunes Worldwide Album Chart and secured the top spot in seven countries shortly after its release.