“I want to bring you back”… The full story of Min Hee-jin, taken away by New Vins.

[Dispatch=Kim Ji-ho · Park Hye-jin reporters] March 27, 2021, N Team (now Nujins) debut evaluation.

Seven trainees from ‘Source Music’ stood in front of the camera. The assigned song was ‘Attention’. Minji, Hani, Daniel, Haerin, Hyein, OO, △△ competed for the debut selection.

Source Music had been preparing for a rookie girl group since 2018. The project name was N Team. The goal was to debut in the third quarter of 2021.

In 2019, Min Hee-jin participated as the creator of N Team. She was in charge of what is seen (visual) and what is shown (concept). Source Music was responsible for management. Min Hee-jin also handled singing and dance training.

The first result is the debut evaluation video that was previously released (2021). N Team showed the color of ‘Attention’ three years ago. It was not difficult to give them the title of ‘Hive’s first girl group’.

However, N Team’s debut was indefinitely postponed. Was it Source’s negligence or Min Hee-jin’s indifference.

◆ Wrong Encounter

What Bang Si-hyuk couldn’t achieve, So Sung-jin wanted to achieve. Hive and Source Music wanted to rearrange the girl group landscape through Min Hee-jin.

“Bang Si-hyuk said he was not confident in girl groups. Let’s create together. (Omission) But there were no trainees. Use Source’s trainees to create quickly…” (Min Hee-jin, April press conference)

Min Hee-jin was not inclined to do it. She judged that she could not take the lead in the project. In fact, when the N Team’s deliberative body was formed, Source Music’s CEO So Sung-jin had the final decision-making power.

“Initially, I didn’t like it. I’m the type who feels fulfilled only when I do everything according to my plan, so I hesitated because it seemed like it wouldn’t work out. But Si-hyuk kept giving me suggestions…” (Min Hee-jin)

However, N Team was a project that could not be refused. Her position was the Hive CBO. She transferred to Hive to fulfill that role.

Ultimately, Min Hee-jin accepted the proposal. She set foot in the N Team deliberative body as the branding officer. However, it was a wrong encounter. Their directions were different. What did Min Hee-jin pursue?

◆ Roll, Roll, Roll, Roll, Roll

‘Dispatch’ obtained the deliberative body task breakdown chart of the N Team. It was a document summarizing Role and Responsibilities (R&R).

According to the R&R document written on May 19, 2020, music was under Bang Si-hyuk, branding under Min Hee-jin, performance under Source, management also under Source, and decision-maker was So Sung-jin.

Min Hee-jin was originally involved as the branding leader. She played a role in proposing the direction of branding for N Team such as the name, visuals, and concepts to Source Music.

However, the deliberative body was not smooth. Min Hee-jin demanded more authority. She wanted to take charge of branding-> music (A&R)-> performance.

So Sung-jin accommodated Min Hee-jin’s demands as much as possible. In fact, on March 4, 2021, Bang Si-hyuk stepped down from the music leadership role. (Min Hee-jin’s wishes for her ancestors will be shared later.)

Min Hee-jin defined herself as someone who ‘feels fulfilled when things go as planned.’ Bang Si-hyuk and So Sung-jin did not break her spirits. They accepted Min Hee-jin’s request for R&R adjustment four times or more.

Despite this, the N Team project was left stranded (by Source). Did Min Hee-jin have another plan?

◆ Min Hee-jin Had Something Hidden?

Let’s go back to the debut evaluation in March 2021.

N Team was already preparing with ‘Attention’. Source trained them in music, choreography, and language. They were ready to speed up the debut once the branding proposal was prepared.

The problem was that the branding material was only in Min Hee-jin’s head. Although she claimed to have had many plans, Source didn’t receive the final materials to introduce N Team to the market.

“I had a proposal document that I made separately here. I had ideas like ‘I think this will work,’ but Si-hyuk didn’t like that.” (Min Hee-jin)

Min Hee-jin seemed to have some hidden motives for delaying the assignment. In April 2021, in a conversation with fortune-teller K, her inner thoughts can be inferred.

Min Hee-jin: It’s just that I need to focus on my own label, but it’s complicated.

Min Hee-jin: I should be promoted for leading the music, but I wonder if I should compromise on that.

Fortune-teller: Everything is prepared. It will end by May or June. You should let So Sung-jin go behind.

Min Hee-jin: But would he go? I have too many competing desires

The final part of the girl group project is branding. This was Min Hee-jin’s area. However, it was delayed for reasons unknown to Source (known to the fortune-teller). In fact, that time was a golden opportunity.

Min Hee-jin knew. The fact that So Sung-jin could handle it alone. In fact, Source stated to ‘Dispatch’, “Branding is ultimately a matter of decision,” explaining, “If there’s no Plan A, just go with Plan B.”

“Branding is a matter of choice. Of course, Min Hee-jin is Plan A. But if there’s no Plan A, you go with Plan B. The problem is Min Hee-jin’s torment of hope.” (Source)

◆ Min Hee-jin, Week After Week After Week

On March 17, 2021, Min Hee-jin sent an email to the N Team deliberative body.

“Since I have content that I have collected and planned in advance for the debut album, it seems that we need to discuss the A&R involvement level. We will schedule after our team’s vacation next week.” (Min Hee-jin)

March 31, Source Music sent a work messenger to the CBO side.

Source: When can we schedule the meeting?

CBO: Check Hee-jin and let us know?

April 5, they sent again.

Source: Hello.

CBO: Hee-jin said to schedule after the week. Next week’s schedule should be arranged.

Source: it’s likely difficult to schedule the meeting quickly. I’ll arrange a meeting time in the next week.

And 6 days passed. April 12th,, the conversation details.

Source: When can I expect a response concerning the meeting date?

Source: Regarding a meeting schedule, should I check with Hee-jin and get back to you again?

: It seems difficult to schedule the meeting quickly. We’ll arrange the meeting schedule in the next week.

April 19th, So Sung-jin waited for more than a month.

So Sung-jin: Regarding the 2021 team-related debut concept, promotion plans, do I get them by mid-April?

Min Hee-jin: My label organization is a priority. So shouldn’t the Source 2021 team resources allocation be clarified accordingly?

Working with others. Collaboration. How was Min Hee-jin’s attitude? So Sung-jin inquired about meeting schedules all throughout April. Min Hee-jin repeated ‘next week’ 4 times.

I was curious about Min Hee-jin’s (other) thoughts.

◆Who Is the Deliberative Body For?

In 2018, So Sung-jin cast Kim Min-ji during Source Music era. Kim Min-ji is now the leader. In November 2019, through the ‘Plus Global Audition’, he picked Palm Hani.

Kang Haerin was discovered on the street in November 2019. At that time, Haerin was an apprentice at another agency. In December of that year, Haerin’s mother contacted So Sung-jin. They received the stamp in February 2020.

Daniel is from YG trainee background. He joined in July 2020. For Lee Hyein, Source Music’s CEO had a direct hand in it. He met Hyein and convinced her parents. Contract signed in January 2021.

From 2018 to 2021, Source Music gathered 10 trainees. The goal was to debut N Team in the third quarter of 2021. However, things did not go as planned. N Team’s deliberative body hampered progress.

On May 7, 2021, Chairman