Copyright sportskeeda
On Tuesday, October 28, the South Korean media outlet, Star News, announced the latest trainee under MBK Entertainment, Ha Min-gi. The agency, otherwise known as Moden Berry Korea, expressed that the trainee is expected to debut in the second half of 2026 under a new K-pop boy group by MBK Entertainment.Ha Min-gi is the first member of the upcoming group that will communicate with the audience through a variety of channels. Additionally, the news report also explained that he was born in 2007. He stands as the grandson of Ha Sung-ho, the founder and current chairman of Sinjeon Tteokbokki, a popular Korean street food brand that holds over 800 franchises.He is also reported to have trained under SM Entertainment before joining MBK Entertainment. Other pieces of information revealed through the news report include that he's around 185cm and is appreciated for his visuals. Following this announcement, many fans and netizens had mixed opinions about the trainee's debut, especially given his wealthy background.Some people were excited to see what the trainee held in store for them and were happy to see that the third-generation heir of Sinjeon Tteokbokki embarked on a different journey to pursue his passion. However, others criticized the trainee by raising nepotism allegations against him and stating that they were not interested in entertaining more privileged and wealthy trainees entering the K-pop industry.Here are a few reactions from netizens regarding the same:Britain| katseye i love you @BadazzbritainLINKHe better get the nepotism allegations annie gets or I know yall kpop stams are misogynisticGlace @PRETTYHAPPYRICHLINKOh look we're getting another chaebol baby in the idol industry⭒❃ VIOLET ⁷⁼¹ ◃ ⟭⟬ is B⟬⟭CK @jooniesvioletLINKAre the children of chaebols bored or somethingOn the other hand, some fans defended the trainee and explained that he cannot be criticized just because of his wealthy background.moonchild ⁷⁼¹ 💜 @suguhhgoodLINKOn one hand, the people who can take the risk of training for years and not debuting are children of chaebols On the other, we can never be sure if they are debuting on their own merits or if their family pulled strings and there is a more talented person who is not debutinglan 🍁 @abd6ixLINKthe concept of having a grandpa who has 700+ franchises but still chose to get into TS hell hole...............Sari @sarister12LINKHe will not cause it's not samsung, LG or Hyundai dear 😌😌😌All we know about MBK Entertainment's new trainee, Ha Min-gi, as Sinjeon Tteokbokki prepares for idol debutOn Tuesday, October 28, Star News reported that MBK Entertainment revealed their new trainee, Ha Min-gi, who stands as the third-generation heir of the renowned South Korean fast food chain, Sinjeon Tteokbeokki. According to the report, here's what the agency, MBK Entertainment, expressed about his upcoming debut next year:We plan to introduce a new boy group in the second half of 2026. Trainee Ha Min-gi will be the first to communicate with the public through various channels. We are grateful that the Sinjeon Tteokbokki family is actively supporting Ha Min-gi's debut preparations. We are currently devoting our utmost effort to training the new boy group, aiming for a launch in the second half of 2026."On the other hand, the trainee also expressed his thoughts about his upcoming debut and stated that he was excited to connect with fans before officially entering the industry. Here's what he said:"I'm already excited to connect with various fans. Although I'm still a trainee, I want to become an artist and reach out to the public with music that I put my heart into."In other news, MBK Entertainment is a South Korean record label and entertainment agency that is known through two names, Music Best Korea and Moden Berry Korea. While it was previously rumoured that the agency was TS Entertainment's successor, it was later clarified that there are no legal or organizational ties between the two companies. It only coincidentally holds many former employees of TS Entertainment.The current artists under the agency are Seugeun, Somyu, Jain Ros, and C.A.P. Therefore, fans and netizens have been eagerly looking forward to Ha Min-gi's upcoming debut.
