Why Has Public Opinion On NJZ (NewJeans) Changed? Korean Netizens Debate

Netizens debate what changed.

NJZ (NewJeans), once widely supported by the public, are now facing a noticeable shift in sentiment. Debates surrounding the girl group on Korean forums show a stark contrast to what they used to be, with growing criticism directed at the group.

A recent post on Pann questioned why the general perception of NewJeans has turned negative. The original poster noted that YouTube news comment sections are now filled with backlash, a significant change from before.

It didn’t seem this bad before, but when I check the comments on YouTube news, they’re all criticizing NewJeans. Wasn’t the general atmosphere more supportive of them? Though, it still seems like opinions on Twitter are relatively positive.

— Pann post

One of the most popular responses suggested that the negative sentiment has been building for months, with the latest court ruling solidifying it. While some forums like Pann may still show favorable comments at the top, netizens pointed out that engagement metrics like upvotes and downvotes tell a different story — one where criticism heavily outweighs support. Even TheQoo, which previously defended NJZ, is now filled with users openly criticizing the group.

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Another factor is the recent court decision approving ADOR’s injunction request against the members. Netizens believe this has exposed alleged media manipulation, making it harder for fans to argue in favor of the NJZ members and Min Hee Jin.

As heated debates continue, the change in public opinion remains evident. Korean netizens now seem to suggest that NJZ is losing favor with the general public.

• “This has been building up since the end of last year, and today just put the final nail in the coffin. On sites like Pann, they manipulate the top comments, but even on TheQoo — where people used to defend them no matter what — users are now turning their backs on NewJeans and openly criticizing them. At this point, public opinion won’t recover. Pann only looks positive because of the manipulated top comments, but if you check the actual upvotes and downvotes on NewJeans-related posts, you’ll see that the criticism is overwhelmingly dominant. It’s easy to manipulate comments, but the upvote/downvote system is harder to rig since multiple accounts get flagged quickly.”
• “The injunction was granted, and now all the media play has been exposed.”
• “SM stans have no use for NewJeans anymore, so they discarded them without hesitation.”
• “NewJeans fans’ mass-voting power has weakened, and logically speaking, there’s no way to defend Min Hee Jin and NewJeans’ actions. They’re unilaterally breaking their contract and demanding to leave—who would support that? LOL. Today’s court ruling on the injunction made it clear that there’s no substantial evidence backing them up. The public now sees that this whole thing was just dragged out for nothing, and they’ve completely lost public sentiment.”
• “Go check Instiz and DC Gallery before talking. What kind of NewJeans support are you even talking about? LOL. Instagram and YouTube have already been completely wrecked for a while now.”