Designer Park Si-young (left) and NewJeans members Minji and Hanni (right) [Instagram]
Designer Park Si-young (left) and NewJeans members Minji and Hanni (right) [Instagram]

Film poster designer Park Si-young has sharply criticized a new video released by NewJeans as a four-member group.

Park posted on his social media Wednesday, saying the video felt "incredibly outdated" — likening its aesthetic to that of a decades-old TV music chart show — and accused the members of riding on the coattails of others' talent. "Talentless kids who just held out their spoons and scraped everything up," he wrote.

He then took an apparent swipe at parent company Hybe, writing that NewJeans as four members was like the word "attack" being stripped from "Attack on Titan." He added that "the original sin" was a company founded by someone with no sense but plenty of pride securing major investment.

The content Park was referring to is a special film titled "2026 Summer of NewJeans," which the group released Wednesday on its official YouTube channel to mark the fourth anniversary of its debut. The video shows members gathering one by one on a summer night, beginning with Minji.

NewJeans members Haerin, Hyein, Minji and Hanni [NewJeans SNS]
NewJeans members Haerin, Hyein, Minji and Hanni [NewJeans SNS]

It marked the first time in roughly a year and four months that NewJeans had posted group content on its official channel, following the suspension of activities after a Hong Kong performance in March last year. The video was widely read as signaling a comeback in a four-member configuration, particularly because Minji — whose status within the group had long remained unclear — appeared alongside Hanni, Haerin and Hyein.

Ador said the special content was "prepared for fans to celebrate NewJeans' fourth debut anniversary," adding that "the specific timing and format of the activity resumption will be officially announced after all discussions are complete."

NewJeans, originally a five-member group, initiated a dispute in November 2024 when the members notified Ador of their intent to terminate their exclusive contracts, but a court ruled in Ador's favor in the lawsuit seeking confirmation that the contracts remained valid. Member Danielle was subsequently removed from the group.

Meanwhile, Park first gained recognition for his poster work on the 2006 film "The City of Violence" and has since designed posters for numerous productions, including "Mother," "The Housemaid," "The Face Reader," "The Wailing," "The King's Warden" and "Hope."


paq@heraldcorp.com