In a now-deleted YouTube video published on September 11, the five members of the band Haerin, Hanni, Hyein, Danielle and Minji released a video titled What NewJeans want to say under a newly created account named nwjns, which has since been closed, per a notice by YouTube.

In it, the members expressed both in Korean and in English their feelings regarding the ongoing legal battle between Ador and Hybe, and how the recent developments have led to them being ostracised by Hybe. “CEO Min Heejin is not only the person that produces our music but someone who makes NewJeans who we are,” Danielle said in English. “NewJeans has a distinct colour and tone, and this was created with CEO Min Heejin. She is integral to NewJeans’s identity and we all feel she is irreplaceable.”

Hanni added in English: “Just like we have our personal feelings, we have the choice to choose how we will react to each situation, and we are not going to follow Hybe’s every order blindly. We’re well aware this is getting in the way of our work.” They also mentioned that they had to garner the courage to release this message publicly.

For the members, who are all between 16 and 20, to take over such a public platform to talk openly about these issues that are plaguing them is unprecedented in K-pop culture, and might be the beginning of a paradigm shift for the industry.

It’s not unheard of for K-pop band members to be individually represented by entertainment companies which are separate from the group’s original agency, but when Blackpink members took the same route, it made headlines.

After announcing the signing of an extension contract with YG Entertainment for the girl group’s activities in January 2024, the Blackpink girls decided not to renew their separate individual contracts with the K-pop agency.

Jisoo has reportedly signed a solo contract under her brother’s agency Blissoo. Rosé signed with The Black Label, which manages talents such as Taeyang, Somi and Zion.T. Jennie just signed with Colombia Records as a solo artist, a deal that was made through her recently created record label Odd Atelier. Lisa launched her management agency called Lloud, which has partnered with RCA to take care of the artist’s recordings. Through this move, Lisa will retain full ownership of all of her recordings, and she said in a press statement that the RCA team is “the best team to create a bigger movement in my solo career”. 

In July 2024, BigBang’s G-Dragon officially became the owner of trademark rights for “G-Dragon,” “GD” and other related terms to the artist. YG Entertainment, which owned the rights previously, transferred it to him at no cost. 

Born Kwon Ji-yong, the idol, fashion figure and visiting professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology is now free to use his stage name for future projects—including his highly expected 2024 solo comeback under his new agency Galaxy Corporation. This will be his first music release in seven years, since his EP Kwon Ji-yong in 2017. The transfer of the ownership of his stage name might seem like an innocuous thing—but it indicates the growing desire of K-pop artists to have autonomy over their art.

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