Singer and actress IU (real name Lee Ji-eun) is facing plagiarism allegations again, a decade after her last controversy, adding bitterness to the situation.

EDAM Entertainment, IU's agency, stated on the 10th, "We have been aware for months of the distribution of posts alleging plagiarism and groundless rumors in online communities, SNS, YouTube, and flyers in certain regions based on false information related to IU."

The agency continued, "From the moment the allegations were raised, we have collected evidence of plagiarism suspicions, espionage rumors, sexual harassment and defamation, false information dissemination, and invasion of privacy, and submitted a complaint to the investigative agency through the law firm Shinwon."

They added, "We came across an article today stating that IU has been reported to the police for plagiarism allegations. We have not officially received any contact from the investigative agency, and we have not been able to confirm the contents of the complaint mentioned in the media. We are currently trying to understand the situation."

MoneyToday reported earlier that Seoul Seongbuk Police Station received a complaint on the 9th from an individual, "A," accusing IU of violating copyright law. The police are currently reviewing the complaint and considering various methods, such as seeking advice from external experts, to determine the direction of the investigation.

The songs included in the complaint are 'The Red Shoes,' 'Good Day,' 'BBI BBI,' 'Peach,' 'Boo,' and 'Celebrity,' totaling six songs. Among these, IU participated in composing 'Celebrity' and producing 'BBI BBI.' The complaint alleges that these songs plagiarized music from domestic and international artists.

IU previously faced plagiarism controversies in 2013. At the time, her song 'The Red Shoes' was claimed to be similar to German band Nektar's song 'Here's Us.'

IU's agency at the time responded by stating, "We have consulted with the composer of 'The Red Shoes' and external music experts. While some parts of the melody may sound similar to Nektar's song, the chord progressions of the two songs are completely different. The core parts of the songs, such as the chorus and the first verse, as well as the instrumental arrangements, are also completely different."

Bang Si-hyuk, the head of HYBE and a producer, also defended IU at the time, saying, "There is a concept of genre and cliché in music. If 'The Red Shoes' is plagiarism, then nearly all swing jazz songs would have to be considered plagiarizing each other."

Kim Hyung-seok also shared his thoughts, saying, "'The Red Shoes' and 'Here's Us' are both fast-tempo bebop swing songs, so the rhythm patterns may be similar. However, it's a stretch to call it plagiarism."

Ten years ago, IU actively clarified the issue and resolved the suspicions. More than a decade later, she is once again embroiled in plagiarism allegations, and the public is focused on the outcome.