2024.09.08
It's been a while, everyone.
“Monthly KPOP Chit-chat” is back for Season 2.
Now, for our commemorative comeback, I thought we could discuss various topics regarding KPOP events from the first half of this year.
First and foremost, when talking about KPOP this year, we can't overlook the messy internal struggle of “HYBE VS Min Hee-jin.”
For those who are unaware, here's a brief overview of what happened:
April 22.
HYBE, which has grown into the largest entertainment agency in KPOP thanks to the explosive popularity of BTS, demanded the resignation of Min Hee-jin, the head of ADOR under HYBE LABELS and producer of NewJeans, over allegations of embezzlement (suspected attempts to seize management rights).
April 23.
Min Hee-jin completely denied HYBE's claims of her attempting to seize management rights.
April 25.
HYBE filed a police report against Min Hee-jin and the ADOR management team over suspicions of embezzlement.
On the same day,
Min Hee-jin held an emergency press conference with her lawyer present.
As I write this, things are already messy, but this press conference would lead to even more chaos.
During this time, Min Hee-jin made the following claims:
- I have not betrayed HYBE. On the contrary, HYBE has betrayed me.
- No one else has achieved such results in KPOP history in just two years like I have with NewJeans.
- If I have any fault, it is only the fault of being capable at my job.
- Originally, it was promised that NewJeans would be the first girl group to debut from HYBE, yet that promise was broken, and LE SSERAFIM debuted first.
- ILLIT, which debuted under HYBE's BELIFTLAB, is copying NewJeans' concept.
To be more specific, she made various other claims, and in the latter part of the conference, she revealed screenshots of her conversations with HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk on KakaoTalk, passionately expressing how oppressed she felt, while hurling profanities at the HYBE management.
As a result of this press conference, public opinion quickly shifted in favor of Min Hee-jin.
The Dodgers cap and the green and white striped long-sleeve shirt she wore during the conference sold out in online shops across South Korea, and the rapid-fire barrage of insults was perceived by some as “the debut showcase of rookie rapper Min Hee-jin,” leading to her being dubbed the “Korean Eminem” and becoming a popular internet meme.
The author believes that the deeply rooted male chauvinistic society in Korea, even more so than in Japan, has influenced this situation.
The image of a female president of a subsidiary standing up against the powerful male executives of a giant company like HYBE, without succumbing to pressure, resonated with the emotions of the general Korean public, much like a scene from a Korean drama.
However, the mention of LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT during this conference led to a surge of anti-fans, and the comment sections of both groups' YouTube videos became flooded with relentless slander.
This also extended to NewJeans, as they became targets of hate from Min Hee-jin's anti-fans.
The author maintains a neutral stance and does not favor either HYBE or Min Hee-jin, but believes that Min Hee-jin's involvement has heavily impacted the idols who are simply trying their best every day.
I acknowledge her skill in elevating NewJeans to a world-class artist level.
However, I also believe that this achievement is due to HYBE's financial power and the efforts of many other staff members, and the narrative that she single-handedly led NewJeans to success feels overly self-centered.
Moreover, the claim that ILLIT is a copy of NewJeans feels quite lonely coming from someone working in the same entertainment industry.
While I do think there are similarities, that is a common occurrence in entertainment, and I don't believe it's a crime to follow in the footsteps of a hit work.
This happens not only in music but also in movies, manga, and all genres, and if something similar to what you've created appears, you should just strive to create something even better and unique.
I believe that is how the history of entertainment has evolved to this day.
When time travel stories become popular, the market is flooded with time travel manga and movies; when the metaverse becomes trendy, the same happens with metaverse-themed manga and movies; when girl crush concepts become popular, KPOP groups with girl crush concepts flood the scene; and when Y2K becomes a trend, KPOP groups with Y2K concepts emerge.
But ultimately, it is the consumers who decide what to choose and what to discard.
Good things will naturally remain, while the bad ones will be eliminated and fade away.
Personally, I wish Min Hee-jin would have channeled her resentment towards HYBE into propelling NewJeans even further with the emergence of ILLIT.
However, what happened within HYBE is something we outsiders cannot fully understand, so if Min Hee-jin felt oppressed by the HYBE management, then that is a fact.
No matter how much the bullies claim they are not bullying, if the bullied feel they are being bullied, then it is indeed bullying, and it cannot be denied that there were issues with the HYBE management.
And this internal conflict is currently ongoing, as Min Hee-jin was recently dismissed as the representative of ADOR by HYBE on August 27.
In response, Min Hee-jin has strongly opposed the unilateral dismissal, calling it an illegal decision.
What kind of conclusion this internal struggle, which shows no signs of ending, will reach remains to be seen.
It may be something only the gods of KPOP know.
There were still many other events I wanted to write about, but the 'HYBE VS Min Hee-jin' incident has consumed an entire column, so the rest will continue in Part 2...
The end
Written by: Nekomachi Peko
SKOOTA KPOP Team Leader
〈Originally a Western rock music enthusiast, I once considered working for Rockin' On. I started listening to KPOP thanks to BTS, then became obsessed with BLACKPINK, and dipped my toes into the KPOP world. I became deeply invested in the survival audition show 'Girls Planet 999', also known as Galpra, and as a result, I fully immersed myself in the KPOP scene as a hardcore fan of Kep1er, who debuted from the show.〉