NewJeans, the popular girl group, has seen a significant drop in their brand reputation ranking.

The Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute revealed on May 12 that NewJeans has slipped to the 20th spot in the girl group brand reputation ranking for the period of April 12 to May 12, 2024. This is a steep fall from their previous position at 7th place.

The group is currently embroiled in a controversy involving Min Hee Jin, a representative of their agency, ADOR. The conflict between ADOR and its parent company, HYBE, has created a storm in the industry.

Min Hee Jin is under suspicion for allegedly trying to wrest control of ADOR from HYBE. On April 22, HYBE initiated an audit against ADOR officials, led by Min Hee Jin, claiming to have gathered substantial evidence.

Subsequently, on April 25, Min Hee Jin faced accusations of business embezzlement among other charges.

Min Hee Jin has since refuted these allegations, labeling HYBE's claims as baseless.

In other news, the girl group IVE topped this month's brand reputation ranking. They were followed by ILLIT in 2nd place, (G)I-DLE in 3rd, LE SSERAFIM in 4th, BABYMONSTER in 5th, TWICE in 6th, aespa in 7th, BLACKPINK in 8th, Apink in 9th, and OH MY GIRL rounding out the top 10.

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Hyun Bin is finally addressing the long-standing "ddongcha" (poop car) theory surrounding his character from My Name is Kim Sam-soon—and he's not holding back!

In an interview on the 19th with Star News, the beloved actor confessed, "I was wrong," responding to the reevaluation of his iconic role as Hyun Jin-heon from the 2005 hit drama. The "ddongcha" theory has been a subject of online debate for years, with many viewers critiquing Hyun Jin-heon’s character as overly arrogant and entitled.

Hyun Bin, who first rose to fame in My Name is Kim Sam-soon, took the time to reflect on the character that made him a household name. He shared, “I was just following the script; there were no personal opinions added to the character of Hyun Jin-heon. At that time, I knew Hyun Jin-heon was portrayed as a ‘bad boy,’ and the way it was expressed was different from today’s standards.”

With My Name is Kim Sam-soon now being re-released as part of Wavve's "New Classic" project, fans are revisiting the 2005 drama, and the character of Hyun Jin-heon is under fresh scrutiny. Director Kim Yun-cheol even admitted that the "prince on a white horse" and "bad boy" tropes that once worked in 2005 don’t quite match today's sensibilities, leading to edits in the 2024 version.

Hyun Bin humbly acknowledged his gratitude for his successful career and hit works, saying, "It’s wonderful and I am grateful to have so many hit works. I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing writers, directors, and actors. Thanks to them, I’ve received a lot of attention and love." He also shared a sense of humility, noting, “But I never know when that luck will come again."

Despite the dramatic shift in perspective on his character, Hyun Bin’s charm and dedication remain strong. Fans are eager to see him in his upcoming film Harbin (directed by Woo Min-ho), set to be released on the 24th.

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