NewJeans HAERIN Marie Claire Korea September 2026 Interview – English Translation
Read the English translation of NewJeans HAERIN’s Marie Claire Korea September 2026 interview, covering her growth, favorite music, beauty routine, LA memories, and hopes for returning to the stage.
NewJeans has quietly returned with another update. To celebrate the fourth anniversary of their debut, the group released the approximately 17-minute special film <2026 Summer of NewJeans Behind> on July 24. Watching the members smile, move, and simply be themselves, perhaps we all shared the same feeling above anything else: how wonderful it was to see them again.
Soon after, a series of individual challenge videos followed. When asked about the time she spent in Los Angeles, where the videos were filmed, Haerin answered with composure.
“The weather in LA was just as beautiful as I had imagined. I got to see in person so many of the iconic LA landscapes I had pictured in my mind, and it was really healing. I had such a good time.”
While people continued spending their summers listening to NewJeans songs, I became curious about what Haerin herself had been listening to. She said she often played “Sunset (feat. Yuna Zaraai)” by The Internet around sunset, explaining that the lyrics especially resonated with her.
The Internet is a neo-soul band that rose to prominence in the early to mid-2010s, but I had never really paid close attention to their lyrics. Only later did I look them up and unexpectedly find comfort in the line:
“Cause as long as the sun is risin’,
We can get up, and brighten somebody’s day,
By shinin’ bright as the rays inside my soul.”
More than anything, I was glad to imagine Haerin carefully taking in those words, line by line.
The day I met Haerin again was at the tail end of the season, when the lingering heat of summer was still present but the arrival of a new season could already be sensed.
“When I look at videos of myself from around the time of our debut, sometimes I think I still seem the same, and other times I feel like I’ve changed quite a lot. I wonder how people watching me feel?”
This time, Haerin was the one asking the question first.
We’re meeting at the very end of summer. Even today, I briefly stopped by a café and “Hype Boy” happened to be playing. Do you realize that people are still constantly listening to NewJeans songs?
Even now, just as before, I find it amazing and I’m always grateful. If there is something truly valuable in life, I think it might be the fact that you can give someone else strength. I feel like our music has been able to play that kind of role for people.
The “Attention” performance from Music Bank One Take 4K, with you as the thumbnail, is still loved by so many people. The video has now reached around 48.76 million views, and people still leave comments like, “Once it starts getting hot, I come back to this like turning on the air conditioner,” and “There it is—my summer.” What songs did you personally listen to this summer?
I listened to “Sunset (feat. Yuna Zaraai)” by The Internet a lot. The sound itself is very calming, but more than anything, the lyrics are what stand out to me. When you sit outside on a summer evening and listen to it while watching the sunset, the words really sink in and make you feel good.
I’ll definitely have to listen to it while reading the lyrics. (Laughs.) Today’s cover shoot is with Marie Claire and Christian Dior Beauty. Since it’s been a while since you had an individual schedule like this, I imagine you might have felt nervous.
Of course I get nervous, but I’ve realized that if I become completely consumed by that feeling, I sometimes can’t do things as well as I actually could.
So I acknowledge the fact that I’m nervous, but I try to focus on doing my best according to whatever situation I’m in at that moment.
The location for today’s shoot feels like a European estate, and it has the kind of atmosphere I naturally like, so I enjoyed myself throughout the day. The weather was beautiful too, and even just feeling grass under my feet again after such a long time made me feel peaceful.
There are a lot of moments from working with Dior that remain in my memory.
There’s something I remember as well. When you previously worked with Marie Claire for a Dior fashion cover, you said, “In the end, aren’t the most beautiful things the ones we can’t see, the things that are difficult to explain in words?” Do you still feel the same? Have you discovered any forms of beauty that you can actually see since then?
I still feel the same way.
I don’t think beauty can be defined solely by the things we can see. Maybe even the act of thinking about beauty, and wondering what beauty really is, can itself be something beautiful.
Have you developed any new routines or discovered any beauty products that you especially like?
I really enjoy using Dior Addict Lip Glow from Christian Dior Beauty. Even on days when I’m not wearing makeup, just applying it lightly makes my face look more lively.
And Miss Dior too. The moment I smell it, my mood lifts, so it’s a fragrance I keep reaching for.
I’ve also been consistently doing weight training since last year. When my mind feels cluttered, moving my body helps me concentrate and makes me feel refreshed.
Today’s shoot started very early. Was it difficult? Are you usually an early riser?
It depends on my schedule. No matter what I’m doing, I like to give myself enough time, so I tend to wake up early enough that I don’t have to rush.
And I always make sure to eat breakfast. I really like the time I spend having breakfast itself.
You were born in 2006 and celebrated your 20th birthday on May 15 this year. Looking at the eight photos you selected and uploaded to Instagram, I found myself imagining how you had been spending your days. What have they actually been like?
I chose photos that I thought could quietly show what my everyday life has been like lately—the atmosphere of my days and the little moments in between. I hope that came across. (Laughs.)
I’ve been doing a lot of different things. I’ve been practicing, reading books, studying, and traveling.
But I think what I enjoyed the most was simply going for walks. I love the moment when I find myself wondering, “Where should I walk today?”
I hope I’ll be able to show more sides of my life in the future and share those different moments with everyone.
What does it feel like to officially become an adult?
I don’t think anything dramatically changed just because I turned 20.
My everyday life is pretty much the same too. But I do feel like time is passing a little faster now.
There were birthday cafés everywhere again this year celebrating your birthday. There were so many cute ideas—not just cats, which people immediately associate with you, but aliens, frogs, and more.
Hearing stories like that always makes me smile.
When I see fans remembering the things I happened to like at different moments in my life and then using those things as inspiration to decorate entire spaces, it brings back how I felt at the time.
If you had to compare yourself to something right now, what do you think you resemble?
A star.
Every star is born, shines, and lives according to its own pace and brightness. I think I’m also just one of those countless stars going through the process of birth and disappearance while giving off my own light.
Just like the countless people living with their own individual worlds.
Sometimes I feel like I’m a special existence, and other times I feel like I’m not particularly special at all.
People often say fans and artists begin to resemble each other. Have you ever imagined what you would like to do the next time you meet your fans?
If I get the chance to meet them, I think I’d first like to sit down and have a quiet, comfortable conversation together.
But I also wonder what the fans themselves would want. I’m sure there are people among them who have personalities similar to mine.
You’re known as one of the quieter members, but you also enjoy making playful jokes, and when necessary, you clearly express your own opinions. When was the last time you found yourself talking a lot?
Actually, when it comes to expressing my own thoughts, I feel more comfortable writing than speaking.
So I think I become the most talkative version of myself when I’m alone, writing things down in a notebook.
These days, I’ve also been listening to a lot of music without lyrics, where the instrumental performance is the main focus. I like that the sound doesn’t feel overly full—it makes me feel more at ease.
I sometimes let my emotions and thoughts flow into that open space.
In a previous interview, when you were asked about “growth,” you separated it into your external world and your internal world. Do you still naturally think about growth in those two categories?
There was definitely a period when I consciously separated the two and thought about them individually, but now I’m trying to combine them and incorporate both into my everyday life.
Of course, there may come a time when I want to look closely at each one separately again.
I think growth in terms of external skills and internal growth are deeply connected.
At this point, I feel like I’ve definitely grown in both ways. As time passes and experiences accumulate, you naturally mature little by little in many different areas.
Isn’t that true for everyone?
On July 22, to celebrate the fourth anniversary of your debut, an approximately 17-minute special film titled <2026 Summer of NewJeans> was uploaded to the NewJeans YouTube channel. Watching the members laughing and talking together, more than anything, I simply felt happy to see you again. What was your time in LA like?
The weather in LA was just as beautiful as I had hoped.
I got to see some of the iconic scenery I had always wanted to see, and it was very healing. I had a wonderful time there.
You once said you decided to pursue this career because you were drawn to the power of music to move people emotionally. When you return to the stage, what kind of side of yourself would you like to show?
I’d like to express the emotions I feel in each moment more freely than before, and show myself genuinely enjoying the experience.
My determination hasn’t changed: I want to keep working toward creating performances that allow the people watching to feel joy and positive emotions.
What is the scene from your future that you look forward to most right now?
Being on stage and meeting the fans again.
I want to look at them for a long time, to make up for how long they’ve waited.
I really, really miss them.
