NewJeans Drops 'Without Min Hee-jin' 4th Anniversary Video; Mixed Reactions Highlight "Tacky" Visuals

Reactions are sharply divided over the full-group content released by the group NewJeans without former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.

To mark their 4th debut anniversary on the 22nd, NewJeans unveiled a special film titled "2026 Summer of NewJeans" alongside new group photos through their official YouTube channel and social media. This marks the first official team content featuring all four members, MINJI, HYEIN, HAERIN, and HANNI, in approximately one year and four months since their activities were put on hold in March of last year. The release drew particular attention as it is the first full-group official content unveiled after NewJeans concluded their prolonged legal dispute with ADOR and returned. The appearance of MINJI, who was known to have been discussing future activity directions with ADOR, also caught the public eye.

The video begins with MINJI appearing alone on a dark summer night, followed sequentially by HYEIN, HANNI, and HAERIN joining her. The scene where the four members hold hands and gaze in the same direction was interpreted as a symbolic message of gathering once again after overcoming a long period of uncertainty regarding their future. The direction, which highlighted bunny imagery symbolizing NewJeans and a summery seasonal mood, also stood out. Among fans, welcoming responses dominated, with comments such as "The signature NewJeans sensibility is back" and "It is heartwarming just to see all four of them together."

On the other hand, critical voices also emerged regarding the visual quality of the content.

Film poster designer Park Si-young took to social media on the 22nd to criticize the video, leaving remarks along the lines of "It is tacky," "This sensibility is not even from the days of 'Gayo Top Ten', and some talentless people just rode the coattails and reaped the benefits." He further added, "What do you mean by four NewJeans members, 'Attack on Titan' lost the 'Attack'," in a statement widely interpreted as targeting HYBE. Designer Park previously made a name for himself working on movie posters for numerous films such as "The City of Violence", "Mother", and "The Wailing".

Director Shin Hee-won, who directed NewJeans' music videos including "Attention", "Hurt", and "Super Shy", also reacted on social media that day by leaving the short phrase "The power of the director." Director Shin previously openly defended former CEO Min Hee-jin during the controversies surrounding her last year by stating, "I know better than anyone how much CEO Min Hee-jin cares about the kids," leading industry watchers to view this recent post as a statement carrying a deliberate message.

The creative director for this NewJeans video is Kim Na-yeon, who is known to have remained at ADOR following the resignation of former CEO Min Hee-jin, overseeing visuals under the new management system. At a time when a significant portion of the core personnel who built NewJeans' identity under the former CEO Min Hee-jin regime has been replaced, this content holds extraordinary significance in presenting the group's comeback and future.

In the industry, the prevailing view regards this content as a signal of a four-member return. While ADOR maintains its official stance that "specific activity plans and methods will be announced after discussions are fully concluded," expectations are growing that a concrete activity direction will soon be unveiled now that a full-group video including MINJI has been released.

NewJeans had previously entered into a conflict in November 2024 by notifying ADOR of the termination of their exclusive contract, but their activities hit a roadblock after a court ruled in favor of the agency in a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract. Afterwards, HAERIN, HYEIN, and HANNI returned sequentially, while DANIELLE was notified of the termination of her exclusive contract.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)