The debate comes just days after the court blamed Min Hee Jin for NJZ’s dispute with ILLIT.
Koreaboo
Just over a week since NJZ (NewJeans) lost their contract dispute to label ADOR, Korean netizens are questioning the real reason why the group’s members remain loyal to their former CEO, Min Hee Jin.
In a viral post with over 80,000 views on the Korean community site Pann, one netizen alleged, “I think this is the reason NewJeans can’t let go of Min Hee Jin.” The poster went on to suggest that, rather than personal bonds, the group’s tether to Min Hee Jin is all about their talent.
In the post, the netizen claimed that in spite of their visuals, the NJZ members don’t have any “outstanding” merits like star power or talent. Instead, they said, the group’s popularity is all down to their concept and their songs. The post stated that, in turn, this has led both NJZ and their fans to elevate Min Hee Jin, the leader of the group’s creative development, as a “sacred figure.”
“Honestly, all the NewJeans members are pretty, but as individuals, I don’t think any of them have that much star quality or exceptional talent. Their star power isn’t particularly outstanding.
NewJeans’ success comes from their aesthetic and good songs. They themselves know that well, which is probably why they can’t let go of Min Hee Jin. They don’t really have any merits on their own. There’s no substance, just a polished exterior. In the end, NewJeans is all about visuals and songs.
Both the fans and the members know this, so they’ve made Min Hee Jin into some sort of sacred figure and can’t give her up. The group NewJeans already belongs to Min Hee Jin too much.
From the start, their debut went viral as Min Hee Jin’s girl group, so now it just feels like they’re one and the same body…”
The Seoul Central District Court finally delivered its verdict in NJZ’s case against ADOR on October 30, rejecting the group’s “breach of trust” arguments and ruling that the members must honor their agency contract. It is now believed the members will not be able to promote independently until 2029.
As part of the hearing, the court also suggested that Min Hee Jin was responsible for instigating the narrative that ILLIT’s manager told the BELIFT LAB group to “ignore” NJZ’s Hanni, which added major fire to NJZ’s mistreatment claims and both groups’ public perception. Despite this, however, Min Hee Jin and the NJZ members appear to still be aligned and affiliated with each other.
In response to the viral post, netizens were split. Some agreed with the assessment that Min Hee Jin has more “name value” than NJZ, even suggesting that NJZ’s supporters are one of the only fandoms that side with the CEO over the members.
Others, however, suggested there must be different factors at play given that everyone on NJZ’s side, including the members’ parents, seems to side with Min Hee Jin.
- “Unless there’s a double contract or something, this makes no sense. Things have gotten this bad, and yet there’s not even one member like [FIFTY FIFTY’s] Keena?”
- “It’s money, obviously. Even if you say NewJeans themselves are completely brainwashed, how could all the parents act like one group too? If you dig into it, the reason for their bizarre actions will turn out to be money.”
- “Even after Min Hee Jin abandoned NewJeans, NewJeans still can’t let go of her lol. Gaslighting? A cult-like community? Double contracts? Maybe NewJeans’ money is still tied up with Min Hee Jin?”
- “Honestly, Min Hee Jin’s name value is higher than NewJeans’. The reason they dominated all the online communities even before debut was because of Min Hee Jin lol. Normally, no matter how talented a CEO or staff member is, even if the members themselves are lacking, fans always insist the idols are the main ones, not the company. Out of all the celebrities I’ve seen, NewJeans is the only case where it’s the opposite. Even for artists who are totally incompetent and only successful because of the company, fans still bash the CEO or staff and say, ‘Without the artist, you’re nothing.’ But with NewJeans, it’s the exact reverse. Fans themselves argue that Min Hee Jin is the real core, the alpha. Even the members act that way lol.”
- “From the start, NewJeans weren’t singers. They’re dancers. Without marketing, no one would know them.”
- “But isn’t that how idols usually are? Unless they’re insanely talented or self-producing idols, doesn’t that apply to most of them? Being an idol is basically a job where the company and directors make everything.”
In response to the court’s ruling, NJZ’s legal team has since announced plans to file an appeal, maintaining that “the relationship of trust with ADOR has been completely destroyed.”