Recently, the NewJeans fan community has raised concerns about member Hyein being isolated by other members of the group. In various situations, it has been shown that the members ignore the youngest, even displaying displeasure towards her.
In the members’ vlog, there were a total of two cameras. Haerin and Minji walked together, Hanni and Danielle followed behind, while Hyein walked alone with the manager far away.
In another scene, the four NewJeans members hugged each other tightly while Hyein stood outside watching them, not saying anything.
Many fans also believe that among the members, Minji has the most obvious attitude of discomfort towards Hyein. Fans think that Minji, as the leader, should not behave this way.
The most controversial issue is the suspicion that “Minji disrespected Hyein’s mother.” Specifically, on July 12, 2024, NewJeans participated in a pre-recording for “Supernatural” at Music Bank. This was Hyein’s first stage appearance after her injury. Hyein’s mother visited the set and prepared food for the girls. The topic “Minji refused to eat the watermelon offered by Hyein’s mother” sparked a heated debate.
Hyein (jokingly): “My blood type is the doll type.”
— Minji stayed silent for a long time and didn’t laugh —
Hyein: “I’m sorry, everyone.”
Minji: “So what do you want me to say?”
Hyein: “No, I actually like this silence.”
Another time, Hyein shared with fans on Phoning that she had sent a message in the group chat but that the older members had only seen it without responding. Minji later sent a message in the group chat asking, “What? When did you send it?”
In a livestream, Minji talked about life in the dorm with the four members including herself, Haerin, Hanni, and Danielle. She did not mention the youngest member, Hyein, which raised suspicions that the members may be isolating Hyein in the dorm.
In another livestream, Hyein was happily playing with gift wrapping paper. However, Minji seemed displeased with this and abruptly snatched the paper from Hyein’s hands and threw it away.
Not only Minji, but other members have also been repeatedly seen ignoring the maknae. When the group was playing a game, the other four members completely ignored Hyein’s presence, not calling her name at all. It was clear to see that she looked visibly upset.
During a time when NewJeans went to take photobooth pictures together, Hanni told Hyein to pay. Hyein immediately responded with “Yes” and pulled out her card as if it were a habit. In K-Dramas, it’s not uncommon to see scenarios where students who are bullied are expected to pay to avoid further harassment. As a result, many fans believe that the group often makes Hyein pay whenever they go out.
In a vlog, Hanni was filming a video with Minji, but when Hyein appeared, she immediately changed the camera angle.
On another occasion, the members boarded a double-decker bus in the following order: Minji/Hanni -> Hyein -> Danielle/Haerin. Although Hyein was the third to board and Minji and Hanni did not sit together, she did not dare sit next to the two older members and chose to sit alone in the back. Later, Danielle and Haerin boarded the bus and filled the space next to the Minji and Hanni.
Hyein was assigned the task of looking into the eyes of the member sitting next to her and expressing affectionate words. The member sitting beside her was Haerin. Knetizens observed that while they know Haerin is generally reserved, her facial expression clearly showed discomfort. They’ve never seen Haerin react so strongly before.
As a result, Hyein’s fans have voiced their dissatisfaction on her behalf. They argue that the members, particularly Minji, have treated the young idol poorly. Not only fans, but many netizens have also noticed the issues between the girls. Some K-netizens have commented on why Hanni always seems to ignore Hyein, despite Hyein’s efforts to get closer and become more friendly with her.
Hyein was the last to join the NewJeans lineup. The other four members—Minji, Haerin, Hanni, and Danielle—had already spent time as trainees at Source Music before the youngest member joined. As a result, these four members were very in sync and close with each other. Despite being the last to join, Hyein stands out the most due to her impressive height and unique aura compared to the group.
There are many factors that contribute to fame, but many fans have pointed out that Hyein doesn’t quite fit the overall concept of NewJeans, leading to a sense of awkwardness in some of their projects. Recently, Hyein has been absent from promoting the double singles “How Sweet” and “Supernatural” due to health issues. NewJeans has been active with just four members. At this time, rumors that the 2008-born idol is being “ignored” have become even more widespread.
However, NewJeans fans believe that the videos presented as “evidence” are not sufficient to conclude that there is conflict between the members. They argue that the other four members still treat Hyein well. Additionally, they have called on netizens to avoid spreading false information about the group.