“After watching NewJeans’ livestream, I realized that this was truly their first breakthrough as artists. By “artists” I mean their ability to tell their own stories based on personal thoughts and reasoning, as well as their courage to take the risks that this profession entails.
K-pop, or figuratively speaking, “idol content,” has always been a meticulously planned and edited product. The level of detail in this process far exceeds what outsiders can imagine. If I hadn’t worked for Arena magazine from 2022 to 2024 and interacted directly with the artists, I probably wouldn’t have understood this either. There’s a reason people in the entertainment industry remain silent about these things.
In that context, NewJeans dared to speak out. They even explained why Min Hee Jin is so important to them: she drew a vision and shared it with them for a long time. In my limited perspective, very few artists could come up with such ideas on their own. And to express them publicly? Even rarer.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not belittling artists. In fact, what’s different between employees and freelancers in this case? How many people actually share their direction with their boss or colleagues? Aside from vague comments like “I want to get rich” or “I want to quit,” how many people actually have their own vision and determination? I think Min Hee Jin has done something admirable by inspiring, empowering, and mentoring these beautiful young women, guiding them toward a passion for their work.
The five members of NewJeans didn’t just execute that vision. They constructed their narrative logically and had the audacity to express it through a “surprise livestream.” It’s rare to see the true face of an artist unless you’re a close friend or an insider. There’s no such thing as “unedited entertainment.” Yet, for the first five minutes of this video, they didn’t even speak. It showed the true face of these guys: nervous and anxious.
I have always admired those who dare to tell their stories, especially when I see that the story and courage comes from a justified or admirable reason. These five members of NewJeans are not just kids. They did something that even many adults might not dare to do when they are fully aware of it. And in my opinion, they have every right to do so.
The people behind the computers, the ones who only look at numbers or rules, the ones who see other people’s lives as stock charts, criticize NewJeans for their recklessness and mistakes. Honestly, mistakes exist everywhere. I even think this whole idol industry has been flawed from the beginning. But there are still people willing to endure so much to try to create something meaningful.
This profession is strange. It is a mix of production, distribution, and service that creates a product that drives people crazy. In this world, things like degrees and backgrounds lose their meaning. If they did matter, Bang Sihyuk, a graduate of the prestigious Seoul National University, would have handled everything perfectly and composed flawless songs.
The greatness is in NewJeans, in every member. If they weren’t great, these problems wouldn’t have survived until now. They even organized that live stream to create something even more great. Those who created this greatness sincerely state that they have a vision and want to do more in the future. I’m excited to see what else they create.
In reality, idols are just performers in the product known as K-pop. Compared to cinema, idols are just actors. And previously, NewJeans were also just performers.
But now things are different. I believe that through that live video, NewJeans debuted as directors of their lives. Let me repeat: standing in front of a crowd, knowing they will be criticized but still daring to tell their story, is not ordinary courage. I support that willpower and courage.”
