What should be the strategy NewJeans should take in 2024? Expansion or more consolidation?

Singers who took #1 in Gallup polls (I exclude Im Changjung who should not belong there. I personally think Korean men over 30 should not be put in the same league as the trottist's league)

Wonder Girls - managed by JYP

SNSD - managed by Lee Sooman's team

Psy - managed by , essentially, himself

Cho Yongpil - who has been his own boss for the longest time

IU - managed by IU team, led by herself

Big Bang - managed by YG's team

BTS - managed by Hitman Bang and his staff

and then,

New Jeans - managed by - Min Heejin.

For the first time, someone not managed by the company itself has become the #1 singer in Korea.

And, as we all know, Min Heejin puts herself before her group. It is said she is raising her own boy group, which is where most of her attention would be at.

No one can really judge what Min Heejin is thinking about now, but her chief aim seems to be gaining more influence in the Hybe organization, thereby gaining more power in there , instead of sending New Jeans for a world conquest bid which would divert her attention from her chief objective of controlling Hybe.

There is no precedent where the top act of a country is no more than a tool of a manager to gain more power inside the organization, and since Bang sacrificed BTS so Bang could play along the tycoons of Korea, Min Heejin, unfortunately, will try to impress the Korean investors more than the world fans.

Min Heejin's attempt with Kim Taehyung was not very impressive, a point not lost by Lee Jieun, who managed to snatch him for her own project.

It is likely that Lee Jieun, who wants to get even wth New Jeans so badly, will release something in late Jan-early Feb. How Min Heejin will deal with it remains to be seen.

She has two choice,

1) Ignore the challenge of Lee Jieun, potentially risking NJ's hold in Korea , and release a foreign oriented album, mostly sung by Ngoc Han and Danielle, to impress the foreign fans

or

2) Decide to hold the ground in Korea, directly attacking Lee Jieun's position , making Haerin and Hyein sing most of the album

And, unfortunately, given Min Heejin wants to gain more influence in Korea to impress Hybe's investment, I predict 2) would be chosen.

So, New Jeans will probably beat IU and put her out of business, but at the same time losing valuable time to expand to the world. And IU could make a surprise comeback later in 2024 when New Jeans would be touring elsewhere.

The sensible way would be to ignore Lee Jieun and Korea and advance to the world, but given that Min Heejin's hunger for power is quite great, it is probable that she will instead secure Korean ultimate dominance first by defeating IU and advance to the world later if she feels like it, which is another big if since she will concentrate more on launching her boy group first.

Quote from knysom

Hi whyknock,

I've been reading your posts and you are quite the scribe! Can I ask you a personal question? What psychedelics do you use?

-knysom

I don't use any chemicals. Listening to Lee Jieun's songs brings such effect to me

Quote from ellenote

She will try to attack IU with New Jeans next comeback. But I do think they'll start trying to break out in the western market next year as well, maybe with an English single. I wonder if she will try to attack BTS with her next boy group, or even Seventeen. She might also try to compete with SM's new 5th gen it boys RIIZE.

Frankly speaking, she looks out for herself before any of her acts. Even when she was in SM she helped to create a group and was quick moving on to another. She helped to create SNSd , and F(x) as an antithesis, then Red Velvet as a synthesis, although she spent more time with Shinee than anyone else.

Most likely she will want to put BTS, SVT and everyone else under her influence so she gets a cut of whatever they earn. She is not a type to destroy acts; rather she is a type to find something to gain from other acts.

Quote from ellenote

I don't know much about Min Heejin, but I've been interested in her business endeavours since reading your posts If she can successfully make ADOR bigger than Bighit was once BTS started taking off, then she can make Ador HYBE's favourite subsidiary I think she is smart, I just want to see her new boy group since she helped create my favourite SM groups.

Her chief objective seems to be making Ador a clearinghouse for all Hybe acts so all Hybe acts have to go thru her , making her money.

And given Ador is likely to be the most prominent section of Hybe for the foreseeable future, her position in the company will be strengthened, especially if her boy group does better than the new bgs various hybe organization has released in the past few years.

Quote from Kreatin

What do you think of the possiblities of IU working with Min Heejin in her next comeback? Afterall she hosted New jeans and also mentioned Heejin by name in her episode with V as well. Could there be an alliance in the works?

i think that will wait till BTS returns, so Lee Jieun and Min Heejin could do a replay of Wellington-Blucher