The Issue Casting a Shadow on NewJeans at Tokyo Dome
The South Korean five-member girl group NewJeans held their first solo fan meeting in Japan at the Tokyo Dome over two days on June 26 and 27, attracting a total of 91,200 people over the two days.
Their Tokyo Dome performance just 1 year and 11 months after their debut is the fastest ever for an overseas artist. HYEIN, who had suspended activities due to a minor fracture in her foot in April, also made a comeback at the Dome performance.
On the first day, NewJeans performed a collaborative stage with the music unit YOASOBI, with whom they first appeared on NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen last year. On the second day, Japanese singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama (33), who is active in London, made a guest appearance.
“The way they invested in stage sets and guests was on a different level, symbolizing the group’s popularity and momentum. Unlike many other K-pop groups who predominantly attract young female fans, NewJeans’ music tempo and style also resonate with middle-aged and older male fans. These male fans, dubbed NewJeans uncles, filled the venue with loud cheers on the first day. Aware of this demographic, during the solo singing segment by the five members, HANNI covered Seiko Matsuda’s Blue Coral Reef (age 62), which seemed to be the peak moment of audience excitement,” commented a music industry insider.
NewJeans is managed by ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE, a major South Korean entertainment company known for housing globally popular groups like the seven-member BTS. Established specifically for NewJeans’ debut, ADOR is led by CEO Min Hee-jin (age 44), renowned as the father figure behind groups like Girls’ Generation, EXO, and NCT. However, on April 22nd, a sudden ‘internal conflict’ erupted between HYBE and Min.
After several court hearings and a petition submitted under the names of NewJeans members, on May 30th, the Seoul Central District Court ruled, “While it may constitute a breach of trust towards HYBE, proving breach of duty towards ADOR is difficult,” thereby refusing to dismiss Min from his position.
“It appears HYBE attempted to remove Min and monopolize NewJeans’ interests, but ultimately failed. Moreover, a conditional ruling stated that if HYBE forcibly dismissed Min, they would be required to pay 20 billion Korean Won (approximately 23 billion yen) in compensation.
Acknowledging Min’s achievements in growing NewJeans to this extent, the court ruled that his dismissal couldn’t be done lightly, leading to Min not being dismissed at ADOR’s extraordinary shareholders meeting on May 31st. However, two of Min’s close aides were dismissed, giving HYBE control over the board of directors, raising concerns about prolonged conflict.
Meanwhile, BELIFT LAB, a subsidiary of HYBE to which the five-member girl group ILLIT belongs, was furious when Min allegedly commented during the turmoil that ILLIT is copying NewJeans. They disclosed on May 22nd that they filed a lawsuit against Min for obstruction of business and defamation. Additionally, they initiated a civil lawsuit in June and released a 27-minute rebuttal video. This situation is expected to escalate further.”
Leading up to the Tokyo Dome performance, there was an online stabbing threat against NewJeans, but the event proceeded as scheduled without incident. Min, along with the members, visited Japan and made a surprise appearance at a NewJeans-related event in Tokyo. Additionally, he posted a two-shot photo on his Instagram with Hong Kong star actor Tony Leung (62), who attended the Dome performance due to his appearance in NewJeans’ music video, showing that Min, having temporarily won against HYBE in their internal conflict, was enjoying his time in Japan.
Despite dazzling the audience with luxurious guests and productions, achieving great success with the Dome performance, behind the glittering stage, there was talk among the media about a tense atmosphere within the agency.
“When it comes to mentioning Min in articles about the Tokyo Dome performance, the record company insisted on prior confirmation being necessary. After all, NewJeans owes much to Min, and the ongoing controversies surrounding HYBE have been quite a topic in Japan, so it would be natural to mention him briefly in the article, perhaps two to three lines. However, it was practically discouraged to delve into the details,” commented a music journalist.
It seems that in Japan, there’s a desire to sweep the internal discord between Min and HYBE, as well as the comments about ILLIT, under the rug. The shadow cast over NewJeans by these events is undeniable. One can imagine that the members themselves wished for a peaceful Tokyo Dome debut, unaffected by these issues.
