Min Heejin: I’m someone for whom work is important. In the past, work was important too, but I don’t think I truly enjoyed it properly. So, even when NewJeans was doing well, I felt quite depressed—there was a sense of emptiness because everything was just being poured out.
However, going through these absurd situations, fighting, and experiencing all this, I strangely learned a lot. I realized the value of work, something I hadn’t fully felt before. I understood why work is precious, why I’m fighting, and the essence of these conflicts, which made me think a lot about how I should overcome these challenges in the future and approach my work.
I actually want to propose a new way of managing entertainment. For example, instead of the usual seven-year contracts, I want to shorten contract periods. Because we should work together because we want to, not because we’re bound. The standard contracts still have many loopholes—they’re written only from the company’s perspective.
Also, there are many cases where young children, whose parents are also unaware, just sign contracts if they want to become idols, without fully understanding. The people who create these standard contracts often don’t understand the practical side of things. So, I want to try proposing ways to improve these standard contracts from a practical, on-the-ground perspective.
So, actually, what I want to do is run a label. It’s not just about making money—if you do your work well, the money will naturally follow. But what I really want to do involves some things that feel experimental. You know, like when a lot of money is invested in an idol, and then they force a longer contract period to make it worth it. Instead of forcing long contracts, I think it’s better to have shorter contract periods and make the company and the members truly need each other.
The company should be one that the members need, and the members should be able to make the company feel needed. At the same time, they should be able to show their own competitiveness and appeal themselves. I know it sounds a bit ambitious, but I think this is a more advanced, almost paradigm-shifting approach. Sometimes I even wonder if I’m having these absurd fights because I’m trying to push this kind of new approach.