Japanese Indie Band Super Climbing Club Withdraws 'Sanbo' Music Release... "We Lacked Learning" Official Apology

The Japanese indie band 'Super Climbing Club' (スーパー登山部) announced that they have decided to completely withdraw the music release of their new song 'Sanbo' (山步) due to controversy over its similarity to the song and melody of the late Kim Kwang-seok.

On the 1st, Super Climbing Club stated on their official website, "Many people pointed out that 'Sanbo' is very similar to Kim Kwang-seok's 'Where the Wind Blows'. We have taken this feedback seriously and decided to sequentially withdraw the music of 'Sanbo' while also halting the release of related videos."

The song 'Sanbo', which is at the center of the controversy, was released on the 10th of last month, but immediately after its release, there were claims that its main melody is very similar to Kim Kwang-seok's 'Where the Wind Blows'. The band explained that they were not aware of Kim Kwang-seok's song when they originally produced the track, acknowledging that the two songs have partially similar melodies, but did not clearly state their position on whether it constitutes plagiarism.

However, in the apology released today, the band changed their stance, stating, "We lacked learning and were not aware of the song you pointed out when composing the track. After receiving numerous points of feedback, we realized how precious Kim Kwang-seok and 'Where the Wind Blows' are to everyone in Korea."

The band also bowed their heads, saying, "We apologize to those who felt discomfort due to this incident and sincerely apologize to the fans who were troubled by this matter."

Super Climbing Club is a five-member indie band formed in 2023. Meanwhile, 'Where the Wind Blows' is a track from Kim Kwang-seok's 4th album released in 1994, and it has been loved for nearly 30 years through its inclusion in dramas and other media, as well as remakes by junior artists, making it one of the classic songs in Korean popular music.