New Genes, concerns over ‘pedophilia and malicious comments’

《Yoon Jun-ho’s Rebirth》

Reporter Junho Yoon of Ten Asia introduces trends in the entertainment industry. We look at the culture, fashion, and past works of celebrities across the entertainment industry and discuss fun and interesting aspects. Let's look back at what the needs of viewers have increased from the perspective of the MZ generation and what made it popular or uncomfortable with the public.

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2022 was the year of the group New Jeans. It was evaluated as having not only excellent music scores but also star quality.

The magic of Min Hee-jin, the CEO of the agency, worked beautifully. It paid off within two months of its debut, and even created a meme called ‘New Jeans’ Hype Boy’, capturing the ears of listeners.

Min Hee-jin is an art director from SM. His influence extends to many fields, including music and idol image making. In fact, there are many idols who gained public recognition through Min Hee-jin. SM's SHINee, f(x), and Red Velvet were his works.

Min Hee-jin later transferred to Hive. The purpose is to create idols who will display their own colors strongly. In the background was Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, the head of Hive. I took charge of 'Adore' under Hive, and that's how New Jeans was born.

New Jeans was different from the beginning. In the meantime, girl groups have visited the public with explosive performances. New Jeans used refreshing feeling as a weapon. However, it does not only contain lovely charm. It depicts narratives that girls with an average age of 16.4 can produce. The unique music and charm fit the needs of the public.

As popularity increases, different opinions emerge. Some of them go beyond criticism and take the form of criticism. However, there are reasons for excessive criticism. This is where a conflict of interest between Min Hee-jin's beliefs and some listeners arises.

New Jeans caused a ‘Lolita controversy’ after their debut. This must be a problem experienced by groups with girlish characteristics. Min Hee-jin's sensibility is 'girly'. If it is excessive, there is a possibility that it will be perceived as 'Lolita'.

In fact, it exploded in the song ‘Cookie’ by New Jeans. This is because there were words in the lyrics that sexually objectified the girl. In addition, mature clothing that did not match the members' ages in the 'Attention' music video also became a problem.

The popularity and criticism of New Jeans is increasing proportionally. The young age of the members is a concern, as it can be dismissed as speculation that comes with popularity. In the music video for the new song 'OMG', there is a scene where member Minji appears to be warning 'malicious commenters'.

It was a scene that was discussed with the music video director and company at the time of filming. Although it was explained as an open ending, many listeners felt uncomfortable. There are also opinions as to whether there was a need to put the members at the forefront of malicious comments.

"Min Hee-jin's girl group New Jeans. This is the group that made me nostalgic for f(x). I think it's because Min Hee-jin's color is evident."

This is the story of Mr. A, who was a fan of f(x). f(x) is also a girl group that was not free from the ‘Lolita controversy’.

f(x) is a group that is considered to have released classic albums such as ‘Pink Tape’ and ‘4 Months’. However, I was not free from ‘malicious comments’ throughout my music career. The basis for the malicious comments was also the issue of ‘sexual objectification of girls.’ Min Hee-jin recently mentioned f(x) on a broadcast. It was a group that fully captured his emotions.

It has been proven that Min Hee-jin's sensibility resonates with the public. However, there are times when that emotion is a ‘double-edged sword’. Min Hee-jin has a duty to protect the members from being hurt by malicious words. This is a time when flexibility in beliefs is needed to deal with malicious comments.

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr