Rookie girl group ILLIT had their Sogang University performance shaken—not by their dancing, but by fandom drama. Right before they hit the stage, a fan loudly shouted, “It’s NewJeans Haerin’s birthday!” during a crowd warm-up. The result? A wave of awkward booing, turning what should’ve been ILLIT’s shining moment into an internet moment.
The MC tried damage control, steering the mood back to celebration. But the tension was real, especially considering that ILLIT and NewJeans have been previously involved in legal drama. Back on March 7, 2025, NewJeans’ Hanni revealed that a HYBE (the company both groups share) staff member instructed the ILLIT members to ignore her in the building. Then, NewJeans’ former CEO, Min Hee Jin, accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans.
Consequently, online forums lit up, with Sogang students calling the moment “disrespectful” and criticizing the fan’s timing. To be clear: the boos weren’t directed at ILLIT, but the situation only added fuel to the already sizzling fandom feud. While the girls kept it professional and performed as planned, this incident shows how fragile things are in K-pop’s internal label wars.