Name and Logo Controversy: Japanese Girl Group ‘everglow.’ Accused of Copying Popular K-Pop Group’s Identity

A name reborn, yet shadowed by another’s light,
A logo’s curve sparking storms in the night,
Rebranding now, to set the record right.

The Asian music industry is currently abuzz with heated debate following the debut of a new Japanese girl group named everglow. (stylized in lowercase with a period), which has come under fire for having a name phonetically identical to popular Korean girl group EVERGLOW. While the spelling differs, fans were quick to point out that the similarities extended beyond just the name—the group’s logo was also deemed strikingly similar, featuring a ring motif reminiscent of EVERGLOW’s signature visual identity.

The controversy began on August 10, when Japanese agency SOVA officially introduced everglow. along with their logo. Just hours after the announcement, social media was flooded with protests from K-pop fans accusing the group of blatant plagiarism. The backlash intensified after side-by-side comparisons of the two logos circulated widely online, sparking a larger discussion on ethics in naming and branding within the entertainment industry.

On August 11 (KST), SOVA producer Yoshimura Soichiro and CEO Honma Shota issued a public apology. Yoshimura explained that he had been using the term “everglow” in his personal activities for nearly a decade, and the logo was inspired by the infinity symbol. However, he admitted that the final result ended up looking too similar to the K-pop group’s branding.

“This situation is purely the result of insufficient research and lack of consideration for an already existing group and its fans,” he said. He confirmed that the current name and logo will be discontinued, promising to rebrand the group to avoid confusion and maintain public trust.

CEO Honma Shota added that moving forward, name and logo decisions will undergo thorough legal checks and third-party verification to prevent similar incidents in the future.

EVERGLOW, the six-member K-pop group consisting of Wang Yiren, E:U, Sihyeon, Mia, Onda, and Aisha, debuted in March 2019 under Yuehua Entertainment. Known for hit songs such as “Bon Bon Chocolat,” “Adios,” “Dun Dun,” and “La Di Da,” they officially ended their contracts in June 2025 after six years in the industry. While two members stated the group had not officially disbanded, their 2024 single “Zombie” is now considered their last group activity on record.

The incident has sparked a wave of support for EVERGLOW from fans worldwide, who believe the Japanese group not only took the name but also adopted other iconic elements that define the K-pop act. Several posts on X (Twitter) have outlined the alleged plagiarism, from song concepts and fandom names to the group’s logo.

Meanwhile, Japanese fan accounts have shared updates on SOVA’s official response, including the decision to suspend the use of the current name and logo until a new identity is finalized.

Netizen Reactions on X

“Personally, I think they should just change the group’s name. Since K-pop’s EVERGLOW debuted first and has been active for years, it’s understandable that fans would feel strongly about this.”

“Even if they got popular with this name, it would just become a problem later anyway, lol.”

“Forget the name—once you see this logo, it’s nothing but plagiarism.”

“They could’ve just gone with neverglow instead.”

“They wanna be EVERGLOW so badly they copied everything. This is disgustingly unacceptable!”

“EVERGLOW was supposed to be Yuehua’s biggest and most successful group, but their agency was dumb.”

“+ hand sign.”

Sources: Naver, Daum, Allkpop