Recently, K-pop fans were buzzing when BTS’s Jungkook posted a photo supporting NewJeans with the message “Don’t use them.” This statement implied that artists should not be dragged into disputes or used as shields in controversies.
The question arises: Who is Jungkook referring to?
About Min Hee Jin:
When HYBE uncovered an attempt to undermine the company, Min Hee Jin (MHJ) diverted the discussion during a press conference by dragging NewJeans, ILLIT, BTS, and Le Sserafim into her justification:
- “I love NewJeans so much, that’s why I’m worried.”
- “I consider myself the mother of NewJeans.”
- “I felt uncomfortable with ILLIT copying NewJeans.”
- “I felt betrayed when Le Sserafim debuted first.”
- “BTS is a trump card, so I wanted to develop NewJeans before they enlist.”
At a press conference, MHJ highlighted her success with NewJeans, claiming, “I achieved success with NewJeans in 2 years, which many top groups haven’t.” She used her so-called “achievements” to justify her actions against ADOR while using NewJeans as a “shield” to deflect criticism.
As a talented art director, MHJ crafted her image as “NewJeans’ mother,” but behind the scenes, she criticized the five girls, often claiming not to remember certain details when questioned by reporters.
MHJ has blurred professional boundaries; she even called and cried with the members during crises. In 20 years of K-pop, no CEO has crossed the CEO-artist boundary as she did.
Similarly, it’s rare for an idol’s family to have as much involvement as NewJeans’ parents. Their active participation in interviews supporting MHJ raised questions about their motives, seeing as this was a legal battle unrelated to NewJeans. This led to suspicions that CEO Min may have “enlisted” NewJeans’ parents.
On September 11, during a YouTube livestream, NewJeans demanded HYBE “reinstate CEO MHJ by September 25.” Would NewJeans have made such demands without legal counsel? And what legal team would take such a risk against HYBE? There’s only one possibility.
About HYBE:
From the outset, HYBE urged, “Please stop CEO MHJ from mentioning artists and affecting their image.”
Even as NewJeans showed ongoing support for MHJ, HYBE remained silent, never forcing the girls to stop or choose sides. During the September 11 livestream, which violated their contract, HYBE showed indifference and did not penalize the girls.
HYBE has limited its confrontation to MHJ and never included NewJeans in the legal battle. It is NewJeans who have embroiled themselves in this conflict, such as with the petition on May 17 and the September 11 livestream. The girls felt unable to separate their identity from MHJ, perceiving HYBE’s issues with her as personal attacks, thus why they came to MHJ’s defense.
Information regarding NewJeans’ debut was disclosed through Dispatch, sparking outrage because the timing of the leaks was deemed inappropriate, with many believing HYBE was attempting to discredit NewJeans. However, HYBE aimed to expose that MHJ had taken trainees from Source Music without acknowledgment. While it’s true that HYBE could have managed the situation more discreetly, releasing images without permission caused tensions.
In fairness, HYBE may not have cared adequately for NewJeans. However, as ADOR is the only company where CEO MHJ oversees every aspect of business and art, NewJeans was effectively separated from HYBE’s direct influence. Consequently, the five girls have spent most of their time collaborating with MHJ, leading to a disparity in the attention and care that HYBE could not provide, but they never involved NewJeans in this conflict.
On the other hand, CEO MHJ has failed to maintain professional boundaries. Instead of resolving legal issues, MHJ continually involved NewJeans in the conflict, prompting them to sign the May 17 petition and engage in the September 11 livestream to advocate for Min.
So, who is using NewJeans as a shield in this battle?
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