On December 25th, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein appeared as guests on CBS Standard FM’s “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show”. This marked their first talk show appearance since announcing their split from their agency ADOR. Notably, the program introduced the members individually by name, rather than using the group name “NewJeans“.
The first topic of discussion was the members’ participation in pre-paid donations for attendees of a protest calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, which recently made headlines. Responding to anchor Kim Hyun-jung’s question about their motivations, Danielle said, “The weather was so cold; I wanted everyone to have a warm meal and spend warm moments. I really wanted to do it.“
Minji added, “We donated 520 servings. Bunnies (fandom name) took pictures together and shared the meals, which made me proud. It felt good knowing we could help people going through tough times at the end of the year.” Haerin also shared, “Bunnies loved it, and we made sure non-fans could also enjoy the meals. It made me so happy.”
The broadcast, which was pre-recorded, included a segment about their Christmas plans. Hanni revealed, “We always play ‘manito game’ among the members. It’s our tradition. This year, we’ve already picked a manito and prepared gifts.“
During the show, Hanni performed a self-composed song live. After the performance, she explained “We were all going through a tough time together. Please understand if we cry“, shedding tears as she spoke. Seeing this, Hyein also broke into tears.
Hanni continued, “I still want to express everything. Since I often play the guitar, songwriting came naturally. But every time I sing this song, I end up crying. The wounds haven’t healed yet.”
Danielle reflected on the year, “I’ve grown much closer to the members. Even with our busy schedules, we shared meals and fun conversations, which made us feel more like family. Those small moments made me happy.“
Finally, when asked about their hopes for the next year, Minji said, “Every moment on stage this year was unforgettable. (For next year,) I hope for a time when neither I nor anyone else has to endure pain.”