K-pop band NewJeans announces hiatus amid ‘mental and emotional toll’ of legal battle

NewJeans appears at a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in South Korea earlier this month. (The Chosunilbo JNS/ImaZinS Editorial/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

HONG KONG -- K-pop band NewJeans played a sold-out show and debuted a new song in Hong Kong on Sunday — just days after a South Korean court upheld an injunction prohibiting the group from carrying out independent musical or commercial activities.

But the band’s members then shocked an 11,000-strong crowd at the ComplexCon Hong Kong festival by announcing they are now taking a break “out of respect” for the temporary ruling.

On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court sided with record company Ador in its long-running legal dispute with NewJeans, saying the band’s attempt to rename itself and break away from the label could “seriously damage” the latter’s reputation.

Speaking on stage, band member Pham Ngoc Han, who goes by Hanni, said the group’s decision to “pause all activities… wasn’t easy,” but that “we believe this is something we need to do.”

Carrying prepared messages on slips of paper, each member addressed their fans (who are affectionately known as “bunnies”) in both Korean and English. Audible disappointment rippled through Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo, where the band was performing for the first time since attempting to rebrand as NJZ last month.

Danielle Marsh, who goes by Danni, said on stage: “As strong as we are trying to stay, it is honestly taking a bit of a mental and emotional toll on us.”

The five-piece group has repeatedly claimed its contract with Ador is void amid allegations of mistreatment. The band’s members have accused the label of “manipulation,” “deliberate miscommunications” and workplace harassment.

Ador has meanwhile asserted that NewJeans remains under contract, arguing that it cannot carry out entertainment activities without the label’s approval. The record company — which is a subsidiary of Hybe, the entertainment giant behind K-pop acts including BTS — has also disputed allegations of mistreatment, telling CNN via email that most of NewJeans’ claims “have arisen from misunderstandings.” The lawsuit filed by Ador will be heard in full on April 3.

In a conciliatory statement, shared with CNN prior to the band’s Hong Kong show, Ador expressed support for the performance — on condition it took place under the name NewJeans, not NJZ. The group appeared to approach the matter delicately, with neither moniker appearing on screens flanking the stage, despite the festival’s other acts being explicitly named.

But the name NJZ did briefly appear as part of visuals projected behind the group, while some band members wore tights saying “Chapter NJZ.”

A booth on the festival grounds meanwhile sold merchandise with different NJZ logos, including plushie keychains, hats and T-shirts, with some dedicated fans spending hours in line to purchase the items.

Danni addressed the issue on stage, saying: “No matter what our name is, no matter what kind of tough time we’ve been through, I feel like to be able to share a moment like this with everyone, is what we live for.”

The band also appeared to avoid playing songs from its back catalog, with each member performing solo covers of other artists before coming together to debut a new song, “Pit Stop.”

On X, a hashtag referencing the band’s “re-debut” had over 50,000 posts within hours of the show. Fans at the AsiaWorld-Arena meanwhile expressed support for the band — and disappointment with NewJeans’ planned hiatus.

“I hope they can keep staying strong, fight this battle well,” said 25-year-old fan Soie So. “We know this is going to be hard to win. To be honest, at that moment (when the band announced a pause on activities) I just felt very touched. I thought they’re very brave.”

But despite fans’ backing, Friday’s ruling is a major setback for the group, according to legal experts familiar with the case. Speaking to CNN on Friday, Sangrock Kho, a lawyer at South Korea’s Law Firm Pil, said the court’s decision to uphold the injunction suggests NewJeans’ legal case is “either extremely weak or virtually nonexistent.”

“Under the Korean judicial system, in cases like this where an agency files an injunction to suspend an artist’s activities, the proceedings are generally very favourable to the artist,” he said over email. “This is because courts are usually extremely reluctant to issue injunctions that could cause irreparable harm to an artist’s career by restricting their freedom of occupation.

“Given that, the fact that the court has nevertheless issued this type of injunction suggests that, after reviewing all the claims, evidence, and extensive presentation materials … the court concluded that NewJeans’ argument — that the breakdown in trust was entirely caused by Hybe and Ador — lacks sufficient legal basis.”

NewJeans emerged as one of South Korea’s most successful pop acts after storming to the top of the country’s charts with debut single “Attention” in 2022. The band achieved international success less than a year later with EP “Get Up” (featuring the crossover hit “Super Shy”), which reached number 1 on the US Billboard 200.

By Stephy Chung and Aria Chen, CNN