NewJeans’ producer Min Hee-jin slams K-pop industry, calls factory-like system ‘a disease’

Speaking to a packed audience, Min denounced K-pop’s rigid structures and formulas, which she said prevented artists from reaching their full potential.

“You will never reach the top spot if you only follow what’s already been done over and over again,” Min said on September 27. “This factory-like system is proving to be a disease for the industry.”

“Our artists are like athletes who also need to be pretty, well-behaved, and literally have a perfect personality,” she said. “We have to see this as brutal.”

Min, who previously served as creative director for iconic K-pop groups such as Girls’ Generation and f(x), is also the former CEO of Ador, a label under Hybe, South Korea’s largest entertainment company.