On June 25th, the expression “NewJeans-like” was registered on the information site Namuwiki. This expression means “poor service compared to the price”. At 11 a.m. on the same day, “NewJeans-like” rose to No.4 in the real-time search keyword rankings on Namuwiki.
NewJeans recently collaborated with the game “PUBG: Battlegrounds”. After the collaboration launched, issues arose as some gamers attempted sexual harassment of NewJeans members using their game characters. Many people dressed NewJeans characters in a provocative way then took screenshots and shared the photos on the Internet. Controversy intensified as NewJeans has underage members.
Some people pointed out that this was possible because there are no restrictions on the outfits to dress the game characters. In response, NewJeans’s agency ADOR and PUBG’s creator Krafton announced that they would take measures against items that do not align with the collaboration’s intention to create a healthier environment within the game and make sure that all users can enjoy the game safely.
They emphasized, “All users of PUBG must comply with our community guidelines. The guidelines prohibit postings of inappropriate content and violations can result in gamers being restricted from use”.
Because of the guidelines, gamers expressed dissatisfaction and spread the new phrase “NewJeans-like” in online communities to mock the group. It is because the customization options in the game have been restricted and this prevents game users from utilizing items they purchased as usual.
Earlier, singer Kim Chang-ryul also suffered damage due to the expression “Kim Chang-ryul-like” caused by the controversy over cost-effective convenience store lunch boxes. As such, fans are worrying that the expression created by PUBG gamers may damage the girl group’s image.
