NewJeans Under Fire for “Victim-playing” after Court Ruling - Netizens Buzz

NewJeans Under Fire for “Victim-playing” after Court Ruling

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Backlash against NewJeans began when the Seoul Central District Court sided with ADOR in a key injunction case on March 21, rejecting NewJeans’ 11 allegations for terminating their exclusive contracts. Despite the ruling, the group publicly voiced disappointment, particularly through international media outlets like the BBC and Time, framing themselves as victims of the Korean entertainment system.

In a March 26 interview with BBC News Korea, member Hanni shared, “Everything we’ve done over the past year was agreed upon by all five of us. We tried to stay quiet, but it reached a breaking point.” She expressed dismay over the court’s decision, implying that it reflected deeper systemic issues in Korea.

NewJeans Under Fire for Victim-playing after Court Ruling

However, Korean public sentiment has turned cold. Many now view the group’s international “media play” as an attempt to shift blame and paint an overly sympathetic narrative that disregards the legal judgment. Critics argue that it’s time for NewJeans to take responsibility rather than continue to portray themselves as victims.

The court specifically rejected all of NewJeans’ contract termination reasons, which ranged from claims of producer Min Hee-jin’s dismissal disrupting their creative process to instances of alleged internal mistreatment. This included supposed plagiarism by HYBE’s new girl group ILLIT and comments made by a Belift Lab manager to member Hanni, which the group characterized as workplace harassment. The court found insufficient evidence to support any of these claims.

le sserafim newjeans illit

Further adding to the skepticism, NewJeans had previously emphasized that other HYBE groups like LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT were favored over them, yet, in a recent statement, Hanni walked back the direct accusations, saying, “It’s not comfortable to keep bringing this up because it involves other teams. We don’t want to affect them, and there’s no reason to.”

Observers also point out that NewJeans’ rapid success came with significant support from HYBE. The company reportedly invested 21 billion KRW (approx. $15.8 million) in the group’s debut, and each member received over 5 billion KRW (approx. $3.7 million) in profit distribution within a year of debut—an exceptional payout for rookie idols.

Why will not New Jeans return to Adore despite ban on reader activities

Despite this, NewJeans unilaterally declared the termination of their contract and refused further dialogue with ADOR. Many now argue that their continued complaints in foreign media disrespect Korea’s legal system, entertainment infrastructure, and fans.

Public sentiment is rapidly turning negative. Netizens have unleashed criticism, leaving comments such as:

  • They’re not victims of Korean society or the K-pop system. If anything, they’re beneficiaries.
  • They’ve officially become Korea’s first anti-Korea idols.
  • After TIME, now they’re using BBC to wield power.
  • So anything that doesn’t go their way is automatically unjust?
  • At this point, NewJeans has the power of a government body
  • It’s ILLIT and LE SSERAFIM who’ve been harassed because of NewJeans.
  • It’s scary now. They’re ignoring social norms, public expectations, even the law, pushing their own agenda by playing the victim—this is chilling.

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