'New Jeans Without Min Hee-jin' 4th Anniversary Film Released; Experts Call It "Tacky"?

New Jeans has released a full-group video celebrating their 4th debut anniversary without former CEO Min Hee-jin. It is currently creating a huge buzz as reactions are polarized.

Did you guys see this?? 😳 There is news that NewJeans has released content featuring all four members together for the first time in a really long while! However, everyone is watching with intense focus because this video is the first official release without former CEO Min Hee-jin 👀 The reactions are completely mixed, so I’ve summarized them for you.

1. NewJeans appear as a complete group for the first time in 1 year and 4 months

'민희진 없는 뉴진스' 4주년 필름 공개, "촌스럽다" 전문가 평가는?

NewJeans released a special film, '2026 Summer of NewJeans,' and a group photo on their official YouTube and social media to celebrate their 4th debut anniversary on July 22. They did. It is said that this is the first official content featuring the four members—Minji, Hani, Haerin, and Hyein—in about 1 year and 4 months since their hiatus last March. It also became a hot topic that Minji, who had been discussing her future plans during that time, made an appearance.

2. What message did the direction in the video convey?

The video is structured so that Minji appears alone, followed by Hyein, Hani, and Haerin joining her in turn. The scene where the four members hold hands and look in one direction is A symbolic message of reuniting after overcoming long-standing uncertainty They say it was read as 🐰. They also say it perfectly captures New Jeans' signature rabbit image and summer vibe.

3. Reactions are polarized... "Tacky" vs. "The nostalgic vibe is back"

fans The reactions are mixed. While there is joy with comments like "The New Jeans vibe is back" and "It's great just to see the four of them together," there were also quite a few critical voices, such as "It's tacky," "I miss Min Hee-jin," and "New Jeans without Daniel isn't New Jeans."

Designer Park Si-young He harshly criticized on social media, calling it "tacky," and also left remarks interpreted as targeting HYBE.
Director Shin Hee-won As the director of New Genes' 'Attention' and 'Super Shy' MVs, he left a short phrase, "The power of the director," sparking cryptic interpretations.

4. Who made this content?

The Creative Director is Kim Na-yeon This is the person who remained at Adore even after former CEO Min Hee-jin's resignation and has been overseeing visuals under the new management system. Given that a significant portion of the core production staff has been replaced, this has also drawn attention in terms of brand continuity.

5. What is the latest news on NewJeans?

Haerin, Hyein, and Hani returned to Adore in November–December 2025, while Minji is positively discussing her future. It is. However Daniel has been notified of the termination of his exclusive contract. Quiet. On July 23, the fourth hearing was held for the damages lawsuit worth approximately 33.1 billion won filed by Adore against Daniel, former CEO Min Hee-jin, and Daniel's mother, and the key point was reportedly the examination of expert witnesses to calculate the amount of damages. The next hearing is scheduled for September 10, followed by October 22.

6. What is the future outlook?

The prevailing view in the industry is that this full-group content is effectively a signal of their return as a four-member group. Although Adore maintains a general stance that "specific plans will be announced after discussions are finalized," the release of a video including Minji has garnered significant weight, leading to speculation that their future activity direction will be revealed soon ✨

💡 Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

Q. Where can I watch the Newgenes 4th Anniversary video?

A. You can check out the special film '2026 Summer of NewJeans' on NewJeans' official YouTube and social media accounts.

Q. Was former Representative Min Hee-jin involved in this video?

A. No. This is the first full-scale content released in the absence of former CEO Min, with the visuals handled by Creative Director Kim Na-yeon, who remained at Adore after former CEO Min's resignation.

Q. Did Daniel also appear in this full-group content?

A. No, only four members appeared: Minji, Hani, Haerin, and Hyein. Daniel was notified of the termination of his exclusive contract, and a lawsuit for damages is currently in progress.

Q. When will the lawsuit between Adore and Daniel and Min Hee-jin be concluded?

A. It is still in progress. We aim to submit the first appraisal report on September 10, and the next hearing date is October 22.