NJZ’s (NewJeans) “Bizarre” Loyalty To Min Hee Jin Provokes Harsh Responses
NewJeans is facing controversy after a viral Korean netizen post questioned why the group stays loyal to their former CEO, Min Hee Jin.
The post, which blew up on the community site Pann with over 80,000 views, claims the members don’t have “outstanding” talent or star power. Instead, it says NewJeans’ success comes from their concept and Min Hee Jin’s creative influence. The post argues that both the group and their fans have made Min Hee Jin a “sacred figure” they can’t give up.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled on October 30 that NewJeans must honor their contract with ADOR, rejecting the group’s breach of trust claims. The members reportedly cannot promote independently until 2029.
The court also suggested Min Hee Jin played a role in fueling conflict with another group, ILLIT, by spreading a narrative about their manager telling BELIFT LAB’s Hanni to be ignored—a claim that added fuel to mistreatment allegations. Despite all this, Min Hee Jin and NewJeans remain publicly aligned.
The viral post states:
“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…”
Netizens are split. Some back the idea that Min Hee Jin’s “name value” outweighs NewJeans’ individual star power, noting the group’s fanbase sometimes sides with the CEO over the members.
Others say there has to be more to the story since everyone involved—including members’ parents—supports Min Hee Jin.
Comments from netizens included:
“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.”
The group’s legal team said they plan to appeal, stating the relationship of trust with ADOR “has been completely destroyed.”
NewJeans Responds To Court Verdict Ruling In Favor Of ADOR