DISPATCH Min HeeJin vs HYBE EXCLUSIVE article translation
The texts coming up are just the translated version of original news article by DISPATCH. All the photos were attached on the original article, too. All credits to Dispatch.
https://m.entertain.naver.com/ranking/article/433/0000106807
Evaluation of the debut of the N Team (now NewJeans) on March 27, 2021. Seven trainees from SourceMusic stood in front of the camera. The assignment song is “Attention.” Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, Hyein, OO, and △△ competed to select the debut group.
SourceMusic has been preparing for a new girl group since 2018. Project name was Team N. Its goal was to debut in the third quarter of 2021. Min Heejin participated as a creator of Team N in 2019. She was in charge of visualizng and concepting. Source Music was in charge of management tasks. Song and choreography training were also Source Music’s responsibility. The first result of collaboration was the pre-released debut evaluation video (2021). The team N produced ‘Attention’ concept even three years ago. It seemed they were qualified to be called as HYBE first girl group. However, the N team’s debut was postponed without a promise.
What Bang Sihyuk couldn’t achieve, what So Sung-jin wanted to achieve. HYBE and Source Music wanted to reorganize the KPOP girl group scene through MinHeejin. “Sihyuk said, ‘I’m not confident in girl groups. Let’s make it together. But there’s no trainee. Let’s make it faster using Source trainees.” (Min Heejin, press conference in April) In fact, Min was reluctant to do so. She thought that she could not take the initiative in the project.
In fact, when the N-Team consultative body was formed, the CEO of “Source” Sung-jin had the final decision to make. “At first, I said no. I tend to do everything I planned, so I hesitated because I didn’t think I could do it at there. But Si-hyuk kept giving me suggestions…” (Min Heejin) But Team N, it was an irresistible project. Her position was to direct the branding, HYBE CBO. Min Hee-jin moved to HYBE to play the role. Min accepted the offer. She set foot on the N team council as the head of branding.
Dispatch received the N Team Consultative Body’s work schedule. R&R (Role and Responsibilities) was a summary of the data. According to the R&R written on May 19, 2020, the music was on Bang Sihyuk, the branding was on Min Heejin, the performance was on Source, the management was on Source, and the decision maker was So Sungjin(CEO of Source). Min Heejin participated as the brand leader from the beginning. It was a role to suggest the brand direction (to Source Music) such as the name, visual and concept of Team N.
However, Min Hee-jin asked for more authority. She escalated to entrust “branding”> music (A&R)-> performance. So Sungjin met Min’s demands to the fullest. In fact, on Mar. 4, 2021, Bang Sihyuk was excluded from music leadership. (Her wishes to her ancestors came true. The story of the ancestors comes later.) Min Heejin defined herself as a person who “has to do what I planned to do to.” Bang Sihyuk and So Sung-jin did not break her character. He accepted Min Hee-jin’s request for R&R adjustment more than four times. Nevertheless, the N Team project was stranded (at Source).
Again, let’s go back to our March 2021 debut evaluation. Team N was already preparing with “Attention.” Source made them to practice singing, choreography, and language. Once the branding proposal was ready, they could accelerate their debut. The problem is that the branding data was only in Min Heejin’s head. She appealed that she has a plan, but Source did not receive the final data to introduce Team N (to the market). “There was a plan that I just made here. There was a ‘I think I can do this’, but Sihyuk didn’t like it that much.” (Min Hee-jin)
There seems to be a separate ‘intention’ for Min Hee-jin to delaye the work. It can be guessed from the conversation she had with K, a shaman in April 2021. Min Heejin: I have to lead my label, but this is complicated. Min: It should be promoted that I even led the music, but I don’t know if he’ll give it up Shaman: Preparing everything. Will be finished in May-June. So Sungjin will be out of the spot Min: But will he fall out? He’s greedy The last part of the girl group project is branding. This is Min Heejin’s area.
However, it was delayed for reasons that Source did not know. In fact, the time was golden time. Min Heejin knew this. The fact that Sung-jin can do it alone. In fact, Source told “Dispatch” that branding is a matter of decision. “If you don’t have plan A, you can just go with plan B.” “Branding is a matter of choice. Min Hee-jin, of course, is Plan A. But if you don’t have A, you can go to Plan B. The problem is, Min’s hope-torture.” (Source)
On March 17, 2021, Min Hee-jin sent an email to the N team council. “I think we need to discuss the A&R involve level because I collected and planned some about the debut album in advance. We will schedule it after our team’s next week vacation.” (Min Hee-jin) On March 31, Source sent a business messenger to CBO.
- Source: When will our meeting be available?
- CBO:can I check on Heejin-nim and tell you?
On April 5, Source sent it again.
- SOURCE: Hello.
- CBO: Heejin asked me to reschedule in next week.
- SOURCE: We also did the debut evaluation.
- CBO: I will tell you again as soon as the next week’s schedule gets organized.
And six days have passed. On April 12th,
- Source: When can I get a reply about the meeting schedule?
- Source: Can we get the data that Sungjin said?
- CBO: I think it will be difficult to set up a meeting quickly. I will arrange the meeting schedule sometime next week.
On April 19, So Sungjin waited for more than a month.
- So Sungjin: Did you receive the debut concept, promotion plan, etc. related to the 21st team (currently NewJeans) during April?
- Min Heejin: My label organization comes first. Shouldn’t the resource allocation of the source 21 team be organized after it?
Source inquired about the meeting schedule throughout April. Min Hee-jin repeated the ‘later’ four times during that period.
Min Heejin’s spring of 2021 was busy. While Team N was waiting for the branding materials, she constantly discussed with K, a shaman. (The cost he spent between March and April as a gut and prayer alone amounted to 40 million won) For example, ① “Did you persuade Bang Sihyuk’s mind? Why is the pig missing?” ② “Do I have to do it here? I think I can get another investment. I might being profitable to Source.” ③ “want the girl group under my label’s name, fight with SUNGJIN to overcome it” ④ “Should I quit in July and make my own label outside (of HYBE)?” ⑤ “My label spends Bang Sihyuk’s money and BANA spends Kakao’s money”
[DISPATCH comments] Of course, we are not criticizing Min Hee-jin’s thinking. She may be greedy, saying, “I feel like I’m doing good things for him,” “I don’t want lose money,” and “What I led should be promoted.” But it is not the attitude of collaboration. If the directions were different, they had to fight. If the common goal had disappeared, she should stop the collaboration. Min Hee-jin did nothing. But just made others to wait.
So Sungjin cast Kim Minji through Source Music in 2018. She is the current NewJeans leader, Minji. In November 2019, Hanni was selected through a Plus Global Audition. Kang Haerin was discovered on the street in November 2019. At the time, Haerin was a trainee from another agency. In December of that year, Haerin’s mother contacted the agency. She stamped her seal in February 2020. Danielle is a former YG trainee. She joined in July 2020.
In the case of Lee Hyein, CEO So Sung-jin made the move himself. He met Hyein and persuaded her parents. She signed a contract in January 2021. Source gathered 10 trainees from 2018 to 2021. Aimed to debut in the third quarter of 2021. However, it did not go as planned. The N Team Council was held back.
Let’s take a look at the message sent by Chairman Bang Sihyuk to CEO Park Jiwon on May 7, 2021. “I briefed (Min Heejin) the image of the N team that Source wanted, and Heejin decided to brand based on it, but almost eight months have passed since I waited for it. I couldn’t proceed because she didn’t follow the timeline that she actually agreed with Source.” (Bang Sihyuk) However, he could not postpone his debut of the N team. Bang Sihyuk asked for opinions, “let Heejin to focus on the M-label, and what if HYBE A director take control?”
Source wanted Team N first, too Source’s initial target N TEAM debut was Q3 2021. S Team (now#LESSERAFIM) Q1 2022. However, until June 2021, N Team Council was still only making R&R adjustments. “Dispatch” obtained “Source Girl Group Launch Meeting Minutes,” which was written on June 18, 2021.
Source’s desired debut priority was clearly Team N. -> Team N is a team with the originality of source. ->HYBE’s first girl group, promoted as Min Heejin’s girl group -> From the perspective of label reputation and operation, N team’s priority debut is natural. -> When the N team, known as Min Hee-jin’s girl group, debuts, we look forward to the SM vs Min Heejin.
“The order of priorities is N team and next is S team. Coordination with Min Hee-jin is key. If N team debut gets delayed to the first quarter of 2022, S team should also be considered first.” Source said, “Considering the popularity of the members of the S team recruitment, we could not postpone our debut,” adding, “In addition, the S team was proceeding as planned with the goal of the first quarter of 22.”
On June 9, 2021, Park Jiwon, So Sungjin, and Min Heejin gathered. Park said on the spot, “Team S might become the first girl group in HYBE.” Min Hee-jin responded, “Are you a bully?” However, she set up a different strategy with a shaman. She asked, “What if I bring Team N?”
- Min: I want to bring the girl group members to my label
- Shaman: They said the Sakura (LE SSERAFIM member) team first, so use it
- Min: let Team Sakura debut first, and I’ll debut the girl group on my own now?
- Shaman: Make a big deal saying that I’m taking the kids (Team N)
- Min: So Sung-jin is going to have a seizure lol
Source looked forward to Team N’s debut, and Min Heejin dreamed of transferring to Team N. Min Hee-jin, won. Source sent Team N (New Jeans) in September. Instead, Team S (LE SSERAFIM) debuted first in May, 22.
Meanwhile, Min Heejin made an official denial on the report of DISPATCH. To read about it, CLICK HERE.
