“Kudos to Yerin Baek for Advocating” — Fans Support Her Claim that ‘Love Next Door’ OST Copies Her Song ‘0310’

On October 4, 2024, South Korean singer-songwriter Yerin Baek made headlines by accusing the producers of the Netflix and tvN drama Love Next Door of plagiarizing her song 0310. This K-drama, featuring stars Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min, released an original soundtrack (OST) titled “What Are We,”performed by South Korean artist Ha Sung-woon, also known as Sungwoon.

Yerin Baek reportedly shared a screenshot from Love Next Door on her Instagram story, captioned,

“It must suck to copy. Feel bad. If you want a song like mine, please ask me.”

For those unfamiliar, Yerin Baek is recognized for her songwriting prowess, crafting hits such as Bye Bye My Blue, Square, 0310, True Lover, and Summer, among many others.

The screenshot of her Instagram story quickly gained traction online, with many netizens rallying in support of Yerin Baek as she called out the Love Next Door producers for their alleged plagiarism. Some, however, mistakenly assumed that her comments were directed at Sungwoon, as he performed the song. One user on X remarked,

“Good on her for advocating for herself. Someone at TVN and the producer needs to be fired immediately.”

Netizens weighed in on the alleged plagiarism, expressing empathy for Yerin Baek. They noted their understanding of the frustration experienced by the artist. Some pointed out that her post wasn’t aimed at Sungwoon, who did not receive credit for composing or writing the OST “What Are We.”

“Yerin Baek’s comments are bold! It’s refreshing to see artists speak out about originality in music,”an X user commented.

“Hmm I checked the credits and he is not there. I feel like this could have been solved in a better way. But I understand her frustration,”another user wrote.

“She didn’t mention him; she exposed the plagiarism of her music and you are attacking her. I follow Yerin’s work and she writes and participates in the production of everything she sings. She is exposing this producer’s lack of character,”another user said.

Others expressed frustration towards the show’s producers for their role in the controversy, emphasizing that Yerin Baek did not explicitly name Sungwoon in her post.

“Ohh… that’s not good, but it’s the producers’ fault (unless he’s producing himself),”an X user wrote.

“FYI, Baek Yerin never calls out Ha Sungwoon for it; she only linked the song, so she’s blaming the OST producer for that. And she is totally in her right to be mad. And for those who said ‘all her songs sound the same’ or ‘every OST sounds the same,’ y’all need to stfu,”one X user said.

“QR’s acting like she specifically mentioned his name and she has full rights to get mad,”another user defended her.

“Why are people blaming the singers, not the producers? Yes, she didn’t mention the singer; she’s calling out producers. People only want to judge based on their assumptions. Why is this show so embarrassing like new day, new mess loading lmao,”an X user added.

Sungwoon’s Agency Responds to Plagiarism Allegation

On October 4, 2024, JTBC reported that Big Planet Made Entertainment clarified that Sungwoon had no involvement in the writing or composition of the Love Next Door OST, “What Are We.”The agency denied the plagiarism allegations and stated:

“Ha Sung Woon and Big Planet Made Entertainment simply participated as singers at the request of the drama OST production company and were not involved in writing, composing, or arranging ‘What Are We.’”

The agency further expressed regret over the misunderstanding that led to the controversy and suggested that Yerin Baek take the issue up with Love Next Door‘s OST production team.

“Nevertheless, we regret that Ha Sung Woon’s OST became embroiled in a plagiarism controversy and caused concern to fans. We hope that Baek Yerin and the OST production company can resolve the issue amicably.”

Yerin Baek debuted as one-half of the South Korean duo 15& in 2012 under JYP Entertainment. She launched her solo career in 2015 with her EP, Frank, after 15& went on hiatus. In 2019, she ended her contract with JYP Entertainment and founded her label, Blue Vinyl, as well as a band called The Volunteers.

On April 9, 2024, she parted ways with her label, Blue Vinyl, as her contract and that of The Volunteers ended.

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