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Japan group's new mountain song "so similar" to Korean singer’s '90s classic

Published: 19 Sep. 2025, 17:24

Japanese indie band Super Climbing Club [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A new song by Japanese indie band Super Climbing Club has been accused of plagiarizing late Korean singer Kim Kwang-seok’s classic "Where the Wind Comes From" (1994).

Super Climbing Club acknowledged the similarity of its song "Mountain Stroll" (translated) in a comment on its official YouTube channel, writing in both Korean and Japanese.

"After seeing your comments, we listened to Kim Kwang-seok’s 'Where the Wind Comes From' for the first time and were surprised at how similar some of the melodies are."

The band, however, denied plagiarism allegations, saying, "We didn’t know the song at the time of composition. While trying to capture the feeling of walking in the mountains, the result happened to be similar."

The song, released on Sept. 10, has since been criticized by listeners for having a main melody almost identical to "Where the Wind Comes From." Comments on YouTube included, "Isn't this just a remake?" and "It's so similar that both Koreans and Japanese would believe it."

"Through this experience, we discovered a Korean masterpiece and were reminded of the power of music to connect people across borders," the band's statement continued. "We will honor Kim Kwang-seok's classic and work more carefully in the future."

Late singer Kim Kwang-seok in 1995 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

"Where the Wind Comes From," released as part of Kim’s fourth studio album, remains beloved in Korea. It has been featured in dramas and frequently covered by younger artists. Kim was known for his folk songs with sentimental and sorrowful lyricism. He died at the age of 31 in 1996.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]