What Zico knows but Min Hee-jin doesn’t

≪Choi Ji-ye’s Epilogue≫
Reporter Choi Ji-ye of Ten Asia objectively and keenly points out events that have occurred throughout the entertainment industry. We carefully analyze the ‘glitch’ you missed from a reporter’s perspective.

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Adore CEO Min Hee-jin, who calls herself the mother of the group New Jeans, does not seem to know the principles of capitalism. CEO Min, who said, “I gave birth to New Jeans,” said that she felt like giving birth after experiencing labor pains, but it is difficult to avoid criticism that this is “excessive self-consciousness” that ignores the capitalist perspective.

It is an undeniable fact that a mother's hard work and role are necessary for a life to come into the world. However, this does not mean that a mother can give birth alone. There must be both a father and a mother for life to be born.

If, as CEO Min claims, she is ‘New Jeans Mom,’ then ‘New Jeans Dad’ is Hive. Hive spent 16.1 billion won to establish Adore, and paid a large price to send New Genes members who were Source Music trainees to Adore. In addition, various capital and systems were mobilized to support New Jeans' debut.

New Jeans is a group that came out of a combination of my father's wealth and my mother's planning skills. If the two conditions of father and mother had not been supported, today's New Jeans would certainly not have existed. Even if we make a hundred concessions and agree that CEO Min Hee-jin created New Genes, it is a result achieved on a platform provided by Hive with capital. To sum it up in one word, it is ‘Namdonnaeman’ (I made it with other people’s money). Before claiming his own achievements, CEO Min must also acknowledge and respect Hive's capital and support. In order to claim full ownership of New Genes, he had to form a company from the beginning based on his own capital and launch it as 'Naedonnaeman' (made by me with my own money).

What I want to point out throughout this situation is CEO Min’s excessive possessiveness toward New Genes. It is frowned upon to see the IP called New Genes being 100% their own work and achievement. It is natural that CEO Min Hee-jin has a special affection for New Jeans, and on the other hand, she wants to support it, but as with everything, too much is not as good as too little. No matter how superior CEO Min's planning skills and senses are, who would want to work with him because he always says, "I did everything well." It is speculated that CEO Min's attitude may have been the seed for this Hive's internal Hong Kong.

Singer and producer Zico, head of KOZ Entertainment, a label under the same Hive, was asked about the differences between Hive, where he works, and the small and medium-sized agencies he worked for, and said, "The financial power itself is different. (Small and medium-sized companies) have less environment and opportunities." “I started from a place that wasn’t even small or medium-sized, almost from scratch,” he said, drawing attention. It was a statement acknowledging Hive's financial power and established systems. Zico's comment on his experience working at a small and medium-sized opportunity company during the group Block B's debut, starting his own agency, and working within the walls of a large corporation, Hive, was brief, but gave a glimpse of insight.

Zico, who has experienced various environments as an idol, producer, and head of a label, seemed to recognize and appreciate Hive's strong financial power and solid system. However, CEO Min Hee-jin is only showing off her own skills and is pouring out harsh criticism towards Hive. Zico knows gratitude, but Min Hee-jin does not.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr