Just over a week after NJZ (NewJeans) lost their contract dispute with their label ADOR, Korean netizens are questioning the true reasons behind the group’s unwavering loyalty to their former CEO, Min Hee Jin. In a viral post on the Korean community site Pann, which has garnered over 80,000 views, one netizen claimed, “I think this is why NewJeans can’t let go of Min Hee Jin.” The post suggested that, rather than personal connections, the group’s attachment to Min Hee Jin is primarily driven by their talent—or lack thereof.
According to the post, despite their stunning visuals, the members of NJZ are not said to possess the “outstanding” qualities typically associated with idols, such as star power or exceptional talent. The netizen argued that the group’s success is mainly attributed to their concept and music, which, in turn, has elevated Min Hee Jin, who oversaw the group’s creative direction, to a “sacred” status among both the members and their fans.
“Honestly, all the NewJeans members are beautiful, 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. 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.”
On October 30, the Seoul Central District Court delivered its verdict in NJZ’s case against ADOR, ruling that the group’s claims of “breach of trust” were unfounded and that the members must honour their agency contract. This ruling means that the members will likely be unable to promote independently until 2029.
During the hearings, the court also suggested that Min Hee Jin was instrumental in fostering the narrative that ILLIT’s manager instructed BELIFT LAB’s group to “ignore” NJZ’s member Hanni, which fuelled accusations of mistreatment and intensified public tension between the two groups. Despite these allegations, both Min Hee Jin and the NJZ members remain closely aligned and appear to continue working together.
In response to the viral post, netizens were divided. Some agreed with the suggestion that Min Hee Jin holds more “name value” than NJZ, even arguing that the group’s supporters are among the few fandoms to side with the CEO over the members. Others, however, raised suspicions about the situation, speculating that there might be other factors at play, particularly money.
“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?” one netizen wrote.
“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 announced plans to appeal, asserting that “the relationship of trust with ADOR has been completely destroyed.”