[Knetz Reaction] ENHYPEN New Merch Sparks Copycat Allegations with Taobao ₩3,000 Toy
ENHYPEN’s summer snail water gun draws backlash over design similarities and pricing
On June 9, ENHYPEN announced a new Japan-only merchandise item: a snail-shaped water gun priced at ₩30,450. However, Korean netizens were quick to spot its striking resemblance to a toy sold on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao, priced at just 16.8 yuan (approximately ₩3,000). The Taobao version shares nearly identical features—including its shape, color scheme, and proportions—leading to accusations of low-effort repackaging and potential plagiarism. HYBE has yet to release an official response to the controversy.
The backlash intensified after side-by-side comparison images of the two toys circulated on Korean forums and Twitter. One viral tweet stating, “No… if you’re going to resell it, at least put some effort into the design. Taking something sold for 3,000 won on Taobao, slapping a logo on it, and reselling for 30,000 won? That’s just wrong,” has already surpassed 360,000 views. Comments under popular fan café posts also echoed the same frustration.
While there is no official confirmation or concrete evidence that ENHYPEN’s merchandise directly copied the Taobao toy, speculation arose among Korean fans after a viral tweet pointed out the striking similarities.
[Knetz Reaction] ENHYPEN New Merch Sparks Copycat Allegations with Taobao ₩3,000 Toy
- 14:45 HYBE LOL
- 14:46 They didn’t copy the design, they just ripped it straight off Taobao and slapped a logo on it.
- 14:47 As expected from HYBE.
- 14:53 HYBE strikes again.
- 14:56 Whoa.
- 14:56 (Kakao Friends sticker — surprised expression)
- 14:57 HYBE doing what HYBE does…
- 14:57 It’s a tiny bit different lol but still a design copy.
- 14:58 ..Do they think people are stupid??
- 14:58 Why are they selling a snail? If it’s a vampire concept, shouldn’t it be something like a bat? lol
- 15:01 At least try to copy the design with some effort.
- 15:02 Wow.
- 15:04 Ugh, cost-performance ratio LOL
- 15:06 What are they even doing..
- 15:16 Wait… what…? That’s not even a copy, it’s just straight-up reselling.
- 15:16 The details are a little different but the price is probably the same lol
- 15:37 That’s bad.
- 15:42 Buying from the Chinese and ripping off the Japanese — hilarious lol
The controversy gained traction on major Korean forums, with the original post ranking No. 2 on Daum’s real-time trending board.
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