BTS Army Revolts! GS25 Faces Backlash for Ripping Off Jungkook's Recipe — Outrage Spreads!

In response to customer feedback, renowned South Korean convenience store chain GS25 has made the decision to cancel their upcoming product launch amidst allegations of plagiarism leveled against them by fans of the popular K-pop group BTS, specifically targeting member Jungkook.

GS25 Accused of Recipe Plagiarism

The controversy arose when GS25 introduced a new item on their menu, perilla oil buckwheat noodles, which strikingly resembled a recipe previously shared by Jungkook with his followers.

Notably, the packaged product predominantly featured the color purple, often associated with BTS, and included the term "idol" on its packaging, fueling speculation that GS25 purposefully borrowed the idea from the esteemed idol.

During a live fan community broadcast in April, Jungkook shared his recipe for "Spicy Bulmayo Perilla Oil Makguksu." Responding to the overwhelming enthusiasm from his fans, the singer later organized the recipe and posted it on the community page. The resemblance between GS25's product and Jungkook's recipe did not go unnoticed by fans, who quickly connected the dots and accused the company of plagiarism.

Following the mounting controversy, GS25 issued a statement addressing the allegations of copying Jungkook's recipe. In the statement, the company expressed regret for the concern caused and pledged to be more attentive to their customers' opinions in the future. Furthermore, GS25 announced that they would reevaluate the release of the product in question.

"We extend our sincere apologies to our customers for the disconcert caused by the 'Bulmayo perilla oil makguksu' product, which was scheduled for release. Taking into consideration our customers' feedback, we have decided to reevaluate the product's launch. Going forward, we strive to be a GS25 that values our customers' voices and exercises greater caution in our production operations."

-GS25 said

This announcement triggered a wave of disapproval from netizens, who left comments such as, "What's the point of stealing a recipe and creating a product that doesn't even credit Jungkook?" and "[GS25] is guilty of recipe theft."

While recipes are generally not eligible for copyright protection under current South Korean law, as they are considered ideas rather than creative works, there is the possibility of filing a patent if the recipe can demonstrate "industrial applicability" and "novelty."

The legal ambiguity surrounding recipes has often led to the exploitation of famous culinary creations by major corporations. Notably, a similar incident occurred with the "Inkigayo Sandwich" and the "Ex-boyfriend Toast," both of which were released as products without the consent of the original creators.
This recent incident follows a similar controversy that unfolded earlier this year involving instant noodle giant Nongshim.

[WEVERSE] JK🌟 post!

jungkook shared a recipe of the ramen he just ate and said armys should try it. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/vZie7Tsaes
— jk updates ★ (slow) (@jjklve_) March 15, 2023

In March 2023, Jungkook shared a distinctive ramyeon recipe on Weverse, naming it "bulgeuri." However, it was later revealed that Nongshim had filed for copyrights of the terms "Bulgeuri" and "Bulguri" on the same day the recipe was posted, sparking outrage among BTS fans.

Netizen React

Netizens commented on the controversy arises:

"A recipe for GREATNESS!"

"not gs25 launching a product by stealing jungkook's recipe and labeling it with "idol" instead of jk's name"

"That is the deadly"

"So this idk who stole Jungkook's recipe buy didn't even mention his name, instead they just put "idol" and decorate it with purple color? WTF???"

" why ?

As the situation continues to develop, BTS fans remain steadfast in their support of Jungkook, emphasizing the importance of respecting originality and creativity. Both fans and industry insiders eagerly await further measures that may be taken to safeguard the ideas of artists in the future.

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Cassidy Jones wrote this.

KpopStarz owns this article.