RUN IT and TRIGGER Similarities Put Stray Kids Plagiarism Claims in Context

Stray Kids’ “RUN IT” music video is being compared online with THE BOYZ’s 2024 video “TRIGGER (導火線)” after viewers pointed to similar visual and staging choices. The discussion has been framed by some searches as a Stray Kids Plagiarism issue, but the available source material confirms only the public similarity claims, the release details, and the shared production and director credits.

Newsen, published through Daum, reported that social media users raised similarities after “RUN IT” was released on June 24, 2026. The elements cited in that report included a location resembling an abandoned building, black-and-white tones, masked dancers, a circular group choreography arrangement, and an ink performance.¹ The same report stated that both music videos were directed by SAMSON Son Seung-hee of production company HIGHQUALITYFISH.¹

RUN IT and TRIGGER Similarities

Stray Kids RUN IT THE BOYZ TRIGGER similarity claims Seoul music scene

The focus of the controversy is narrow: two music videos by different artists have been compared because of reported overlap in mood, staging, and performance imagery. The source material does not establish that any formal plagiarism decision has been made, nor does it state that a legal claim has been filed.

“RUN IT” was released by Stray Kids on June 24, 2026 at 1 p.m. KST as a pre-release single and music video, with Soompi reporting that the group’s producing unit 3RACHA members Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han participated in the song’s production.² UPI also reported the June 24, 2026 release of the “RUN IT” single and music video ahead of a new EP.³ JYP Entertainment’s official Stray Kids website lists a “RUN IT” item with a YouTube connection, confirming the video as official Stray Kids/JYP release content.⁴

The comparison point, “TRIGGER (導火線)” by THE BOYZ, predates “RUN IT.” The Vimeo credit page for “THE BOYZ – TRIGGER (導火線) M/V” is dated October 28, 2024 and lists the video as a HIGHQUALITYFISH production directed by SAMSON.⁵ A separate Vimeo credit page for Stray Kids’ “RUN IT” lists the same production company, HIGHQUALITYFISH, and the same director name, SAMSON.⁶

That shared credit is central to the current discussion. The issue being discussed publicly is not only whether two videos look similar, but whether the confirmed overlap in production and directing credits changes how those similarities should be understood. Based on the available sources, the record supports the existence of online comparisons and shared credits, but it does not support a conclusion that plagiarism has been officially determined.

Key Confirmed Facts

Item	“RUN IT”	“TRIGGER (導火線)”
Artist	Stray Kids	THE BOYZ
Music video timing	Released June 24, 2026 at 1 p.m. KST²	Vimeo credit page dated October 28, 2024⁵
Production company	HIGHQUALITYFISH⁶	HIGHQUALITYFISH⁵
Director	SAMSON⁶	SAMSON⁵
Similar elements cited in reporting	Abandoned-building-like space, black-and-white tone, masked dancers, circular choreography, ink performance¹	Used as the comparison point for those reported similarities¹
Release context	Pre-release single ahead of “THIS & THAT”²	Source material provides music video credit context only

The table shows the confirmed points that can be compared without adding unsupported claims. “RUN IT” is a 2026 Stray Kids release tied to official and entertainment-news sources. “TRIGGER (導火線)” is a 2024 THE BOYZ music video with public production credits. Both credit pages identify HIGHQUALITYFISH and SAMSON, while the similarity report identifies the visual elements being discussed online.

The production credit details also limit how far the available evidence can be taken. The sources confirm common creative personnel, but they do not explain whether any repeated imagery was intentional, coincidental, a director’s recurring visual style, or part of a broader production decision. They also do not include a direct statement from JYP Entertainment, HIGHQUALITYFISH, SAMSON, THE BOYZ, or the artists’ representatives responding to the online claims.

What the Record Does Not Show

No source material provided here confirms an official plagiarism allegation from THE BOYZ’s side, a legal complaint, a rights dispute, or a formal industry ruling. The phrase “Stray Kids Plagiarism” may reflect how some readers are searching for the controversy, but the available record is more limited: a reported social media debate over visual similarity and confirmed overlapping credits.

The distinction matters because music video disputes often involve several separate questions. One question is whether viewers can identify similar images. Another is whether those images are protected, copied, licensed, reused, or independently created. A third is whether a shared director or production company changes the interpretation of repeated visual choices. The supplied sources address only the first and part of the third question.

The strongest verified point is that “RUN IT” and “TRIGGER (導火線)” share the production company HIGHQUALITYFISH and director SAMSON in public credit listings.⁶⁵ Newsen’s report through Daum adds that social media users cited specific visual similarities, including setting, color treatment, dancers, choreography formation, and ink-related performance imagery.¹ Those facts are sufficient to explain why the comparison gained attention, but not enough to establish wrongdoing.

RUN IT and TRIGGER release comparison K-pop music video context

For now, the RUN IT and TRIGGER similarity discussion remains a source-limited controversy built around online comparisons and confirmed shared credits. Until additional official statements or documented claims appear in the record, the most accurate description is that Stray Kids’ “RUN IT” has drawn similarity claims because of visual elements compared with THE BOYZ’s “TRIGGER (導火線),” while both videos are publicly credited to HIGHQUALITYFISH and SAMSON.