In the world of K-pop, fans are voicing their support for NewJeans, a group under HYBE’s subsidiary ADOR, by trending the hashtag #FreeNewJeans on social media. Many believe that HYBE is giving more promotion and resources to their other girl group, LE SSERAFIM, leading to allegations of “favoritism” in the way the company handles its groups.
Free NewJeans
Some fans highlight how NewJeans don’t get enough visibility when accessing HYBE’s main platforms as proof. Certainly, LE SSERAFIM has been amplified to a large extent on the official HYBE YouTube plus social media channels, while the NewJeans mixtape contains a limited number of videos on their own channels. Some argue that the CEO of Bang Si-hyuk, the leading K-pop label, has made statements publicly supporting his other groups, yet has been the one actively not promoting NewJeans, which has led the fans to believe that NewJeans is receiving inferior promotion compared to the other groups.
As a retort, the company has released formal to justify their approach, pointing to the number of articles and press releases they have issued, as the litmus test of their real engagement. The artists mentioned were specifically, the New-Jeans emphasizing the fact that they have not been to the forefront of the media just like the other major artists in the company. Also, they insinuated that ADOR, the label directly managing NewJeans, is the one calling the shots when it comes to their promotional strategies.
On the contrary, according to the fans, the disadvantage that comes with the lack of promotion seems like the company is intentionally doing it. They think that more promotion on various platforms could help New-Jeans achieve a broader reach. As the demand for a change continues, the fans are hopeful that HYBE will see the special New-Jeans talent and want to establish an equitable distribution of support among their various groups.