International K-pop fans recently took to social media to call out racist and hateful comments directed at Halle Bailey, who was pictured with Julia Garner and Hanni in a post uploaded by NewJeans' official Instagram account on March 22.

The photo was meant to celebrate the meeting of three rising artists in their respective fields, but it was marred by hateful and racist comments from some netizens.

Comments such as "What is that monster mermaid?" and "Ew, it's the Kraken" were directed at Halle Bailey, who is known for her talent and recently made history as the first black woman to play Ariel in Disney's upcoming live-action movie, The Little Mermaid.

However, international K-pop fans did not remain silent and quickly came to Halle Bailey's defense, rebuking the hateful comments directed at her.

Here are some of the reactions from netizens:

"It's disappointing to see people resorting to racism and hate when we should be celebrating talented artists like Halle Bailey."

"I don't understand why some people feel the need to tear others down with hurtful comments. Let's spread love and positivity instead."

"Halle Bailey is an amazing artist and deserves nothing but respect and admiration for her talent and achievements."

What are your thoughts?

Source[1]

NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

Source: [1]