NewJeans has officially changed their group name to NJZ, and it's stirring up a lot of buzz online! While some fans are excited about the new direction, others aren’t so sure about the change.

On February 7th, the members shared the news with fans, saying, "Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein’s new group name is NJZ. Get ready for a surprising journey with NJZ starting in 2025, alongside NewJeans." Along with the announcement, they posted a group photo and revealed that their debut song under the new name would drop on March 23rd.

This move comes after the group announced a contest to pick a new activity name, which led to the creation of NJZ. However, the new name has sparked mixed reactions from netizens.

Some fans are not so thrilled with the change. One fan commented, "Isn’t it just initials?" while another said, "Not great." Others raised concerns about potential legal issues, asking, "What’s the meaning?" and "Isn’t this going to cause problems?"

On the flip side, many fans are excited about the fresh start. Some said, "It’s a bit sad to change the name, but it’s nice that people will still recognize them as NewJeans," and "Looking forward to the fresh start. I support them." Others simply responded, "Perfect fit!" and "Thank you for coming back soon, NJZ."

Despite the fan reactions, there’s also a bit of drama surrounding the name change. NewJeans and their agency, ADOR, have been in a contract dispute since last year. In response to the announcement, ADOR expressed their disappointment to Xports News, saying, "We are very disappointed that the members made this unilateral decision before a legal judgment on the validity of their exclusive contract with ADOR has been made."

ADOR continued, "We will do our best to protect NewJeans’ brand value and are always ready to meet with the members or their legal representatives to resolve any misunderstandings and discuss NewJeans’ future activities."

With a new name, a fresh start, and a major legal battle in the mix, it looks like NJZ (or NewJeans) will be keeping everyone on their toes in 2025! Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.

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Seo Ye Ji is facing major backlash after her surprising appearance on SNL Korea 7.

On April 12, Seo Ye Ji made her long-awaited return to variety shows by guest-starring on Coupang Play's SNL Korea Season 7.

Before the show started, she made jaws drop by joking, "I'll gaslight the SNL crew and make it fun," referencing her own past controversies.

During the "Seo Ye GPT" segment, Seo Ye Ji played an AI that helped Kim Won Hoon nail a company presentation. She then made a sharp comment, saying, "The truly embarrassing thing is sitting quietly and being talked about behind your back. I've experienced that a lot," hinting at the criticism she’s faced.

In the "Eve Hair Salon" skit, Seo Ye Ji acted as a salon director and joked about her past "Kim Ddak Ddak" scandal, where she was accused of controlling her then-boyfriend Kim Jung Hyun. When a character mentioned her stiff neck, she responded, "It's firm," making everyone laugh but also stirring mixed feelings.

Fans were shocked to see Seo Ye Ji using her past scandals as comedy material, especially since it’s been eight years since her last variety show appearance. Many pointed out that joking about serious accusations like gaslighting and academic fraud might have gone too far.

The controversy over Seo Ye Ji’s education also came back into the spotlight. She had previously claimed she studied abroad in Spain, but in 2021 it was revealed she never actually attended the university she mentioned.

Her agency explained she was accepted but didn’t attend because of her career in Korea, but many netizens weren’t convinced.

On SNL Korea, Seo Ye Ji even played a character who lied about her past to impress a boyfriend, making fans think of her real-life academic background scandal.

After the episode aired, reactions online exploded. Some comments included, "Falsifying academic background is a crime," "This was too much," "It was funny though," "Let’s forgive it since it’s black comedy," and "Why was Seo Ye Ji the first guest?"

Seo Ye Ji’s bold jokes have definitely split public opinion, with some calling it brave and others saying it only reopened old wounds.

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