Japanese band Super Climbing Club apologizes for plagiarizing Kim Kwang Seok's 1994 hit 'When the Wind Rises'

A Japanese indie band has come under fire for suspected plagiarism of a 1994 hit by Korean folk legend Kim Kwang Seok. 

Earlier this week, accusations of plagiarism were raised against the Japanese band Super Climbing Club (スーパー登山部) and its newly released single, "Stroll", composed by the band's member Oda Tomoyuki. Many netizens, including Korean and Japanese, pointed to the song's similarities with Kim Kwang Seok's "When the Wind Rises", released in 1994. 

When criticism of their song's close resemblance to the Korean folk hit escalated, Super Climbing Club issued a formal apology via YouTube:

"We sincerely thank you for your criticism regarding our latest song, 'Stroll'. 

Thanks to your comments, we were able to listen to 'When the Wind Rises' by Kim Kwang Seok for the first time. We were also shocked by just how similar the two melodies were. 

Many of you said that it is a very famous song in Korea, but we regret to admit that we did not know of it when we were writing our song. We originally came up with the melody to 'Stroll' with the image of a stroll through a mountain in mind, but ultimately it turned out to be a song bearing a close resemblance to another song. We are aware and accepting of the gravity of this situation. 

We composed 'Stroll' while thinking about a stroll through a mountain and with nature, and its enriching effects on the heart and on one's life. 

Through this incident, we've not only learned about a Korean masterpiece we did not know of before, but also of the power of music which connects people across national borders. 

We would be grateful if listeners, not just those in Japan but also those in Korea, accept our music with a warm heart.

With all due respect for Kim Kwang Seok's masterpiece, we will be sure to exercise caution in our future works. 

Additionally, the Korean version of this statement was composed using a translation tool, so there may be errors and grammatical shortcomings. Please understand.

Thank you all for your valuable input." 

You can compare the two songs below.