Recently, it was revealed that NewJeans, who once consistently topped the brand reputation rankings, has experienced a sharp decline. Member Minji, who held the first overall position at the end of last year, has now fallen out of the top 100 alongside the rest of the members of the group. The dramatic drop has sparked speculation, with many attributing the decline to ongoing conflicts between the group’s agency, HYBE, and their former ADOR CEO, Min Hee Jin.

The decline in rankings was evident after a press conference held by Min Hee Jin, where she openly criticized HYBE’s Chairman, Bang Si Hyuk, and the company’s executives. Min Hee Jin’s statements have led to mounting speculation that this internal strife may have influenced NewJeans' brand reputation.

The Steady Decline

NewJeans’ drop in rankings was noticeable over several months. In April, the group fell to 10th place, followed by 29th in May, and then 48th in June, despite making a successful comeback in Korea and debuting in Japan. By September, they had completely disappeared from the rankings altogether, raising eyebrows among fans and industry insiders.

Netizens’ Doubts and Questions

Interestingly, this sharp decline came just after NewJeans was crowned the top girl group at the 2024 Brand of the Year Awards, hosted by the Korea Consumer Forum in September. Additionally, NewJeans continues to be active as models for brands like Shinhan Investment Corp. and Lotte Wellfood, making the sudden drop in rankings even more puzzling.

One dedicated NewJeans fan decided to dig deeper, contacting a representative from Brand Reputation Ranking directly to find out why the group had been removed from the top 100. Here’s the alleged conversation that the fan shared:

Fan: I called because I have a question. I read the press release and wanted to ask why NewJeans fell out of the top 100 in brand reputation rankings.

Brand Representative (BR): The press release wasn’t issued by us, it was written by reporters based on what they saw.

Fan: I understand that, but I want to know on what grounds they were pushed out of the top 100.

BR: Think of it like the Fifty Fifty case.

Fan: What does Fifty Fifty have to do with this?

BR: We internally view it as the same as the Fifty Fifty case, which is why they were excluded.

Fan: So, are you saying you make internal decisions regardless of the criteria used for brand evaluations?

BR: Yes, we see it as the same as the Fifty Fifty case, legally speaking.

Fan: But NewJeans hasn’t sued HYBE or taken any legal action like Fifty Fifty. How can that be the same? This doesn’t make sense. I will make this public. What is your name?

BR: You can’t make this public, and if you do, we’ll sue you for defamation through a lawyer (in a yelling voice).

Fan: Go ahead and sue me for defamation if you want. Now, please tell me your name. (The call was disconnected, and when I called again, they didn’t answer.)

Netizen Reactions

The conversation left many fans and netizens questioning the validity of brand reputation rankings. Here’s a look at some of the top comments from Korean netizens:

• “Are you playing golf?”
• “This is really crazy lol.”
• “The fans are upset because it's reversed like that.”
• “Wow, it was just a reputation they decided on their ownㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ.”
• “Anyway, the ratings are baseless from the beginning.”
• “It's proven to be unreliable. It's strange to believe that.”
• “When I found out, it was even more baseless. I don't need to listen to that kind of stuff.”
• “No need to get upset because it's not on the chart. It's a meaningless chart.”
• “There is no standard for ratings and it has no meaning. There is no need to get angry about that.”
• “It's really baseless.”

What’s Next for NewJeans?

As the controversy surrounding NewJeans’ brand reputation continues to unfold, fans are left wondering how this will impact the group’s future. With ongoing disputes and the murky circumstances behind their sudden drop in rankings, many are calling for greater transparency in how these ratings are determined.

Share your thoughts on NewJeans’ recent brand reputation controversy in the comments below.