Thursday, April 25, 2024

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Kep1er to conclude their 2-year and 6-months journey as a group. 

According to Star News' exclusive coverage on the 25th, Kep1er's members will return to their respective agencies by the end of July. Before concluding their activities, they plan to release an album and hold one final performance to bid farewell to their fans. 

Kep1er is a multinational project girl group born through Mnet's 'Girls Planet 999' that ended in October 2021. They made their debut with their first mini-album 'FIRST IMPACT' in January 2022. Since they debuted with a predetermined activity period of 2 years and 6 months, their contracts will end in July 2024. 

Despite their short period, Kep1er has achieved remarkable success in the global music market beyond South Korea. Therefore, the key executives of all members' agencies gathered to discuss extending the project activities once more. Wake One had previously stated that they would "continue to discuss extending activities" before the contract expires. If it had been realized, it would have been the first case of contract extension among idol groups produced from audition programs. That's why both Wake One and the members' agencies viewed the possibility positively. However, unfortunately, Kep1er recently decided not to extend their activities. 

Kep1er will release their first full-length album 'Kep1going' in Japan on May 8th. 

theqoo

-I really loved WaDaDa, though...

-Time sure flies really fast...

-Wow... They're really popular in Japan

-Don't go... My Xiao Ting...

-Didn't Kep1er become really popular after WaDaDa? It's a shame that they couldn't produce songs that lived up to that afterward...

-It seems like there's news of everone disbanding this year...

-It's a shame...

-Well, there's nothing we can do about it... Some agencies are probably waiting for Kep1er's activities to end so they can prepare for the girls' next debut...

-That's a really long contract for a survival show group... 2 years and 6 months.

-It's expected since some companies are preparing for their groups' debuts. 

-I'm not surprised... I'm sure their companies want to debut their own groups as soon as possible

-I already expected this... Ever since Wanna One, even IZONE disbanded without extending their activities...

-It was good while it lasted...

-Xiao Ting, please stay in Korea...

Kep1er's Plan to Extend Their Activities Fall Through ... Disbandment in July Without Contract Renewal

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So many people wondered if they're receiving special treatment since the moment they announced they would be making a separate communication app, despite the existence of Weverse. It was absurd. 

Seeing how Phoning separates from Weverse, I came to realization how extraordinary Min Heejin's ambition is. At that time, I only thought, 'HYBE is letting her do this...?' And now, as expected...


It's outrageous. They suck HYBE dry when they needed support from them, and now they're saying that HYBE didn't help them at all??? I could easily come up with ten more examples.

Just the thought of Phoning gets me worked up again. 

theqoo

-Honestly, the UI of 'Phoning' is outdated. 

-Looking at it now, it seems like they had already planned to leave from the beginning. 

-It's so uncomfortable having a separate application. The features on Weverse are complete anyway. 

-At first, everyone was crazy about the aesthetics of it. But people change their minds in an instant. 

-I thought it was just a temporary app for the concept at first, but then they kept using it and it even has a paid subscription...

-Haerin is really pretty... 

-They made Weverse so cool, and then they suddenly make an app just for New Jeans' fans... It feels awkward. 

-Yeah, I was wondering why other labels didn't say anything when this application came out? Why did HYBE only give privileges to ADOR? I've always thought about that, but I just couldn't bring myself to say it out loud because I know I'd become a target for anger if I did.

-They must've thought about leaving HYBE since then...

-Now that I think about it, it all feels planned...

-I wonder why they don't use Weverse and use Phoning instead. 

-Bang Sihyuk is really foolish.

-I wonder why didn't anyone think, 'Why make a separate app when there's already Weverse?' back then...

'Phoning' Receives a Lot of Attention for Being Made Separately for New Jeans, Causing Suspicions of Special Treatment

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Sowon's Interview

Q: Since you have spent your time together from the age of 21, parting ways from GFriend after 8 years wouldn't be easy. 

A: It was indeed very difficult for me to gather my thoughts at that time. The news came so suddenly. I had always thought about becoming an actress one day, but I never expected that time to be now. Despite the difficulty of parting ways and the pain it brought, I knew I had to keep moving forward, creating my own path. I couldn't just let myself drown in hardships. Of course, it took quite some time to accept that fact. It's been almost a year now, and the other members have all accepted and adapted to it. Honestly, I feel like I'm the one having the hardest time adjusting. 

SinB's Interview:

SinB: We didn't know if it was our last promotions. We couldn't be the ones to bring it up first like, 'We're not doing this anymore. We're not renewing our contracts.' So actually, before the article came out (about the contract ending), about a month before, if you see the V Live Broadcast that our members did, we were crying while watching videos of fans cheering us on. 

So, on the day the article came out, we didn't expect it to come out. That's why we cried a lot. Each three of us lived in the same dorm. I lived with Sowon Unnie and Eunha Unnie, you know? In the morning, when the articles came out, we all came out of our rooms at the same time, while crying. We didn't expect it to come out that day. We were just crying and stuff. 

So... Last year was probably a really tough year for all of us, we just didn't show it to our fans. I never expected it to be the year where I would cry so much. I think I already cried out all of my tears last year. Actually, I hope GFriend will release an album again some day... Or meet again and reunite...

theqoo

-GFriend had a lot of fans... The worst management ever...

-Why did they do that to GFriend...

-GFriend is really my favorite group ever...

-Sure, groups disband all the time. But not like this. What kind of handling is this?

-That's exactly why I hate it when people say things like 'Source Music is an angel' or Source Music is a saint'. It's disgusting. 

-Wasn't that before Min Heejin went to ADOR?

-But what I really don't understand is that Source Music itself was a well-established agency with GFriend being popular. So why did they do that?

-This is exactly why I hate Source Music.

-Their concept changed after joining HYBE, but their quality also improved. It felt like another version of GFriend. However, I agree that it was too sudden. 

-This has nothing to do with New Jeans, it's just Source Music being a scoundrel.

-This is legendary... The Shameless Ending of Source Music. It's really disappointing. 

GFriend's Members Talk About the Sudden Contract Termination

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

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She just changed it recently

theqoo

-Seriously... Why are you guys overreacting about this?

-I'm sure New Jeans will make a statement before they resume their activities. Can't you just wait for a bit?

-It was just posted briefly for fans and then deleted right away, why make a fuss since it wasn't meant for you to see anyway?

-Minji usually communicates with her fans about five times a week. I think this is one of her ways of reassuring fans that everything's gonna be okay. I wonder what she meant by those emojis by the way...

-Minji, stay strong. New Jeans, fighting!!

-What's the big deal about this??

-What's the problem with posting such a picture on a communication app for fans? I personally think New Jeans have to speak up and release a statement. However, since their parents are involved now, it might be difficult to come out with an immediate statement. I'm sure they're probably already in the middle of sorting things out, anyway. For me, it seems like Minji posted this to comfort fans amidst the chaos.

-I hope she will make the right decision after careful consideration...

-I don't think that picture has any special meanings... It seems like she posted that to comfort fans and tell them not to worry...

-Am I the only one who doesn't understand...? What's the problem?

-What is this...? Why is it a problem?

-Why does Minji have to apologize for posting this?? She just posted this to comfort fans...

-Instead of changing your status message, apologize.

-Looks like some people are excited because they finally found a reason to hate on New Jeans

-Isn't it a bit much to criticize with just one emoji?

New Jeans Minji Phoning Status Message

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 This is the gift Yuna received from her mother. How can such a family exist? Yuna said she shed a little bit of tears when she received this gift. If I were her, I would've wailed. 

ITZY is currently on tour and is in London right now. It is said that Yuna's mother came all the way to London just to give it to her.

And this... My mom gave it to me as a giftㅎㅎ I shed a few tears

She asked me to pick one from it

So I picked one, and then she asked me to pick one more

She told me to guess what it was, I jokingly said, 'My strengths?~'

My mom nodded and tears welled up in my eyes...


She's confident
She laughs well and has a pretty smile
She brings happiness to others through her own work
She knows how to appreciate the scent of the forest
She expresses her love to her dad affectionately

Yuna's mom wrote down 500 of Yuna's strengths on each stick and gave it to her😭

theqoo

-This is love

-Wow, so touchingㅠㅠㅠ

-Why am I tearing upㅠㅠㅠ

-It seems like Yuna is a sweetheart because she receives a lot of love from her familyㅠㅠ

-I can't hold back my tears when it comes to things like thisㅠㅠ

-This is exactly the reason why Yuna is such a sweetheart...

-Wow... I wonder how does it feel to grow up receiving such love...

-Yuna must've grown up receiving a lot of loveㅠㅠ

-That's so amazing... How can you not cry?ㅠㅠ

-This is how parents should be...

-Seeing this, I can totally see why Yuna has such high confidenceㅠㅠㅠ

-I can feel the love through these pictures...


ITZY Yuna Shares the Touching Gift She Receives from Her Mother

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2019

Bang Si-hyuk, the person who raised BTS. Through the global idol group BTS, Big Hit created an entertainment company that reaches another level beyond SM, YG, and JYP.

However, he had a painful memory; while he succeeded in creating boy groups, girl groups were a challenge. Or perhaps, if the nearly successful girl group 'Glam' hadn't threatened Lee Byung-hun... He might have been recognized as a producer who successfully nurtured girl groups as well.

At that time, Bang Si-hyuk, the CEO of Big Hit Entertainment, acquired Source Music, famous for 'GFriend,' for stock exchange listing and girl group launching (July 29, 2019).

And simultaneously, he recruited SM Entertainment director Min Hee-jin to Source Music. She was known for her contribution to the visual design and conceptualization of artists from Girls' Generation to f(x) at SM Entertainment.


During this period, with the recruitment of Min Hee-jin, Source Music actively pushed forward with the launch of a new girl group. Soon, Source Music began a global audition to select members to join New Jeans, starting with Minji (September 4, 2019).

2020

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, while the entertainment industry seemed to be contracting, Big Hit continued its momentum by acquiring Pledis, known for 'Seventeen,' and strengthening its determination for a fall listing (May 25, 2020).

BTS achieved their first Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping hit with the new song 'Dynamite' (August 21, 2020).

Finally, in October, Big Hit Entertainment led a surge nearing the stock market, becoming a mega entertainment company with a market capitalization of 11 trillion won (October 15, 2020).

2021

Big Hit ordered a company rebranding to Min Hee-jin and changed its name to HYBE, establishing itself as a global entertainment company with multi-labels (March 10, 2021).


And the tension between Min Hee-jin and Bang Si-hyuk began when Min Hee-jin stated, "I want to debut New Jeans through my solo label, not at Source Music."

Bang Si-hyuk invested 161 billion won, 100% of HYBE's capital, and established a wholly-owned subsidiary, ADOR, through a spin-off from Source Music. He promised Min Hee-jin a salary of 500 million won and stock options of 20%. Then, with trainees Minji, Hanni, Danielle, and Haerin, who were recruited through Source Music, he moved to ADOR (November 12, 2021).

2022

As a result, Source Music suffered from personnel losses and recruited Kim Chae-won and Sakura (March 14, 2022), and debuted LE SSERAFIM (May 2, 2022).

While ADOR partially compensated for the cost of training trainees, it is difficult to see that they fully compensated for the training period and loss of personnel.

ADOR debuted New Jeans with Hyein, achieving the highest first-week sales for a girl group (July 22, 2022).


2023

ADOR, which nurtured New Jeans, skyrocketed from sales of 186 billion won in 2022 to 1.103 trillion won in 2023, in just a year. In response, Bang Si-hyuk attempted to grant the promised 20% ownership in stock options, but Min Hee-jin demanded higher compensation, citing a 45% tax rate at the acquisition point.

Ultimately, leveraging the fact that it was a loss-making company as of 2022, he directly gave 18% low-priced stock ownership instead of stock options. Based on a Hana Securities report, valuing ADOR at 2 trillion won, she received compensation close to 400 billion won (end of '23).

2024

However, as of the end of 2023, tensions over compensation soon surfaced, and Min Hee-jin began collaborating with global heavyweights such as the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and the Singapore Investment Corporation to secure a favorable stake. From HYBE, which owns 80% of Audor, she sought to induce the sale of more than 30% of the stake, aiming for over 50% of management rights, along with friendly funds.

Regarding this, Min Hee-jin created a pressure card to induce the sale of HYBE. She is accused of leaking personal information about HYBE artists and conducting persuasion operations through pre-contact with New Jeans members' families.

In fact, legal guardians (parents) of New Jeans members relayed requests for clarification regarding HYBE's copying New Jeans, and while HYBE requested a meeting with an explanation, it was revealed that New Jeans members' parents refused, citing HYBE's untrustworthy attitudes.

And Bang Si-hyuk, who became frustrated, eventually accepted losses of 850 billion won in market capitalization and initiated an audit.

theqoo

-The parents are also a problem.

-Oh... I get it now.

-Bang Si-hyuk trusted and supported everything, thinking of giving her extraordinary conditions for relocation (setting up a separate label), but ended up being betrayed... 

-What's wrong with the parents of New Jeans... Wow, they seem to have been brainwashed by Min Heejin too.

-Wow, this is very nicely summarized.

-So Bang Si-hyuk trusted Min Heejin only to get betrayed in the end...

-I feel sorry for Source Music

-Human greed knows no bounds.

-Bang Si-hyuk really has no luck.

-Poor Bang Si-hyuk...

-Min Hee-jin crossed the line. Human greed is tremendous.

-Seriously, can it be any worse than this?

-It's not easy to earn 400 billion while working in someone else's company; they treated her well.

-Bang Si-hyuk got stabbed in the back

Blind Post About the Timeline of Bang Si-hyuk and Min Heejin's Dispute

 












instiz

-According to the articles, Min Heejin almost worked for Source Music as well. However, she didn't because she wanted to build her own company. 

-It wouldn't have been bad if they had debuted under Source Music, since So Sungjin is good at making girl groups too. 

-If they had debuted under Source Music, these are not the members we would be seeing...

-If they had debuted under Source Music, they probably would have these members + Kim Chaewon and Sakura, right?

-I personally think it wouldn't have been bad as well... 

-Of course, it wouldn't have been bad. But the lineup would be different from the New Jeans we now know. 

-I agree, though... They have this kind of vibe only because Min Heejin...

-I don't think they had that vibe because of Min Heejin, but because of HYBE...

-Well, if there was no Source Music... There would be no New Jeans at all to begin with...

-Who knows?

New Jeans Wouldn't Have This Kind of Vibe If They Had Debuted in Source Music

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Eunchae: Confidently! So that we can walk confidently at the airport

Hong Eunchae Enters South Korea Amidst Controversy Over Her Singing Skills

LE SSERAFIM Sakura, Expressionless Gaze


LE SSERAFIM Sakura 'Hiding Carefully'

LE SSERAFIM Enters South Korea Amidst Controversy Regarding Their Skills at Coachella

Meanwhile, looking at Kim Chaewon's off-shoulder outfit... It looks like she wants to say that 'I didn't do anything wrong'

pann
[+1,322][-116]

1. [+532][-50] What does an off-shoulder have anything to do with this...

2. [+331][-286] Well, Kim Chaewon indeed did not do anything wrongㅋㅋㅋ She's always the only member who carries the whole group with her skills... ㅋㅋ What does her off-shoulder fit have anything to do with the whole thing, OP?

3. [+309][-175] Idols often wear masks and hats to cover their faces after long-flights because their complexion isn't good. Why are you making a big deal out of this?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Grow up. It's very childish of you. 

4. [+307][-18] I mean... Isn't it natural for people to be interested in their arrival photos? Especially because just before they performed at Coachella, Hong Eunchae said on a live broadcast, "When I come back after Coachella, I'll confidently raise my shoulders this high when I enter South Korea, hehehe". This post isn't even harsh criticism...

5. [+296][-181] Whoa... You guys are really one of a kindㅋㅋㅋ So, how do you think they should enter the country then? Should they come in all pompous and grand? Or should they wail and cry?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ You guys really don't know when to stop, do you?

LE SSERAFIM Stated That They Would Be Back to South Korea Confidently...

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Doesn't she realize the seriousness of the whole situation? If I were her, I would've controlled my expression

pann
[+48][-174]

1. [+109][-1] Does Minji have any reasons not to smile right now?ㅋㅋㅋ Should Minji be crying just because Min Heejin and Bang Sihyuk are fighting?

2. [+70][-2] All these bullshit just because she smiled

3. [+65][-6] Someone said Minji looks ugly when she smiles... Where???? She looks f*cking gorgeous when she smiles;;

4. [+47][-2] Danielle attended an event with such wide smile on her face as well today, though?

5. [+41][-1] I freaking hate people like you who goes through all of her pictures and watches all of her videos just to find something to hate 

6. [+17][-0] Whether she smiled or not, it's none of your business. While you're here, take a look at this beautiful picture of her taken by Getty Images.

Minji is Smiling Way Too Cheerfully...?