[instiz] MIN HEEJIN WHO DISAPPEARED, NEWJEANS STANDING ALONE

Did they not foresee this happening? NewJeans’ “departure from HYBE” always seemed unlikely from the beginning. There were still 4 years left on their contract, and there was no typical reason for the exclusive contract to be terminated. There was no issue with profit settlements, the contract was not unreasonable, and there were no acts of violence or exploitation from the agency. The court’s decision on the 21st to accept Ador’s request for a provisional injunction to maintain its agency status over NewJeans is a logical conclusion. Min Heejin and the law firm Sejong handling the case likely anticipated this outcome. This is why they chose not to apply for an injunction to suspend the contract’s effectiveness but instead pushed ahead with independent activities.

The pivotal point in this legal dispute is NewJeans’ emergency live broadcast by the members in September last year. The members demanded the reinstatement of former Ador CEO Min Heejin and issued a notice announcing their intention to pursue independent actions. However, this was not really the starting point. NewJeans is not the sole entity involved in this dispute. Ne Jeans’ “departure from HYBE” was triggered by the conflict between Min Heejin and HYBE and was the final step she chose. Let’s recall that it was revealed before all these events unfolded that Min Heejin had been planning to take NewJeans and go independent. The legal battle between NewJeans and Ador is the result of Min Heejin’s “Project 1945” being executed in a form different from the original plan.

This is also something that HYBE’s reckless handling of the situation brought upon itself. By using the keyword of a highly unlikely management takeover and doing media play, Min Heejin was able to claim the victim role and gain a moral high ground to condemn HYBE’s “sins.” This situation also provided the justification for the NewJeans members to refuse to work under Ador without Min Heejin.

The point at which the dispute between Min Heejin and HYBE shifted to become “NewJeans vs. Ador” was the aforementioned emergency live broadcast by NewJeans. After that, Min Heejin completely disappeared from the frontline, and New Jeans emerged to continue the fight. As Min Heejin was dismissed from her position as CEO of Ador and became a third party, if she continued to direct NewJeans’ actions, it could lead to a “tampering” controversy over contacting artists who still had remaining contract periods, which would put her at a disadvantage in future legal disputes. This is the background to why NewJeans, which had always been under Min Heejin’s shadow, suddenly transformed into an “independent idol group.” Behind this, there were suspicions raised in the media that Min Heejin had been in contact with external businessmen and met with members a day before their National Assembly appearance.

The strategy chosen by NewJeans was an out-of-court battle. They likely intended to bypass the unfavorable court battle and win public opinion to influence the court’s ruling in their favor. This series of events led from the live broadcast to Hanni’s National Assembly appearance and the NewJeans press conference. This strategy proceeded by adding a “public awareness of the issue” to what was initially a private dispute between the parties involved in the contract. The logical leap from the idol rights issue was made through a comment that seemed to be heard from an ILLIT manager, to “Ignore them.” Now, with the provisional ruling, the narrative has expanded, with interviews in foreign media portraying their loss as “the reality of Korea” and describing it as part of the “darkness of K-pop.” The term “revolutionaries,” which the New Jeans members used in their Time magazine interview, has become an awkward word encapsulating this gap and is now consumed as a meme.

The NewJeans members could not replicate the charisma that Min Heejin displayed. Their press conference didn’t leave as strong an impression nor was it widely talked about like Min Heejin’s press conferences were. As the CEO of an agency and an executive in the industry, Min Heejin could speak on various issues with different tones. NewJeans, as young female idols, had to move within the constraints of their fixed image. They defined themselves as victims of ab**e and appealed for the return of a “proper guardian” to protect them.

This is the cause-and-effect relationship that has kept NewJeans’ image, shaped by Min Heejin, stuck in the portrayal of pure and passive girls. Whenever individual members subtly break free from that image with different expressions or ways of speaking, antis seize the opportunity to criticize them, claiming they are “disrespectful to adults” or “rude.” The limited freedom of action for CEO Min Heejin was one of the reasons why the strategy to fight the battle externally did not succeed.

Who are the winners and losers of this long battle? HYBE succeeded in preventing Ne Jeans from leaving, but they cannot celebrate it, as their social standing has been greatly diminished. NewJeans is now left to wait for the main lawsuit with the most crucial phase of their idol career on hold. In this battleground where it seems there is no clear winner, Min Heekin is the one who has claimed at least one victory. Through that press conference, she became a socially prominent figure, creating a syndromic impact. Whatever the process, she achieved the outcome she had long desired: leaving HYBE. She can raise investment, establish her own company, and plan new idols. The New Jeans fandom, which is strongly aligned with Min Heejin’s fandom, will likely continue to follow her in the future, becoming a lasting asset.

NewJeans took center stage not just because they were the full parties involved in this dispute, but because of their “shared destiny” with Min Heejin. They emerged as protagonists in the situation, carrying the pressure of the accumulated disputes that were unrelated to them until then. In court, when HYBE mentioned other idol groups under its umbrella, a frame was created that “Ne Jeans members are not free from responsibility” and “don’t say idols are innocent.” The concept of “independent idols” became a K-pop cliche, with people claiming idols should be respected as individuals. However, in such a complex reality, when idols step into the spotlight, it raises a difficult question of how far they should be protected and where authority and responsibility should begin. This is especially true if their relationship with someone called “NewJeans Mom,” a person in a subordinate relationship, is a beloved case for fans.

In Hyein’s Time magazine interview, she said, “Some people conveniently change their perspective, treating me like a child when it suits them and expecting me to act like an adult when it’s more convenient.” This is a statement that should be heavily reflected not only by everyone in the K-pop industry but also by Min Heejin herself.

source: https://www.mediaus.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=312305