Designer Park Si-young slams NewJeans anniversary content as 'tacky'

Film poster designer Park Si-young has voiced strong criticism regarding the 4th anniversary debut content released by the group NewJeans. While expressing disappointment over a visual concept that deviates from the group's established identity, he also offered a blunt evaluation of the production direction, sparking diverse reactions online.

On the 22nd, Park mentioned the 4th anniversary content released on NewJeans' official channels via his social media (SNS), posting a message to the effect of, "I watched the new NewJeans content immediately this morning because they said it was up, but it is so tacky. The vibe is like the 'Gayo Top Ten' era.""

He continued with the metaphor, "It feels like untalented people just jumped on the bandwagon to consume everything," adding, "The sight of only four members instead of five in NewJeans feels like the 'Attack' has been removed from 'Attack on Titan.'" This is interpreted as dissatisfaction with the quality and directorial direction of the content released in a four-member format, given that member Minzy's return has not yet been finalized.

Park further added remarks to the effect that "The beginning of the problem is that people who lack sense but put pride first started a company and received large investments." Although he did not mention a specific company directly, the industry is interpreting these expressions as criticism related to HYBE.

These remarks have drawn even more attention as they come amidst the ongoing exclusive contract dispute surrounding NewJeans and the issue of the members' resumption of activities.

On this day, the content '2026 Summer of NewJeans,' celebrating the 4th anniversary of their debut, was released on NewJeans' official channel. Along with the video, group and individual concept photos were released. The content captured the attention of fans as it included Hani, Haerin, and Hyein, who have confirmed their return to ADOR, as well as Minzy, who is currently in discussions regarding her return.

However, ADOR is maintaining the position that "Specific activity plans and future operating methods will be announced after all discussions with the members are finalized," meaning the possibility of NewJeans' full-group activities remains undecided.

Park is an individual who has consistently expressed opinions regarding matters related to NewJeans.

In November 2024, when the NewJeans members notified them of the termination of their exclusive contracts, claiming the relationship of trust with ADOR had broken down, he publicly defended the members via SNS, posting messages to the effect of, "It is frustrating to see middle-aged men of my age telling young friends that they don't know how social life works," and "It seems they are confusing social life with slave life.""

In this way, while supporting the positions of the NewJeans members, Park has raised criticisms regarding content production direction and visual strategies from an independent perspective.

Park is considered one of the representative designers in the field of domestic film poster design. He has been recognized for his original visual sense, having handled the poster designs for major hits and critically acclaimed films in Korean cinema history, such as "The King and the Clown," "Mother," "The Face Reader," "The Wailing," and "Hope." Given that posters are a core visual language that determines a film's first impression in movie marketing, his designs have been evaluated as securing both popularity and artistry.

Recently, he also garnered significant attention by publicly revealing the existence of his same-sex partner with whom he has been in a relationship for approximately 15 years. He is known as an individual who consistently expresses opinions not only on his work but also on social and cultural issues.

To mark their 4th anniversary since their debut, NewJeans is continuing to communicate with fans by sequentially releasing various commemorative contents. However, as the return of member Minzy and the future direction of the team's activities have not yet been finalized, the industry and fans are focusing their attention on future official announcements from ADOR.