NewJeans announce hiatus after setback in court battle

South Korean K-pop group NewJeans have announced they are taking a break from all activities, after a court ruled against them in their ongoing dispute with their record label Ador.

The five-piece, who have attempted to rebrand as NJZ, announced during a show at ComplexCon Hong Kong on Sunday that "this will be our last performance for a little while", after debuting their new song Pit Stop.

The court ruling on Friday forbade the group from organising their own appearances, making music or signing advertising deals during their dispute with Ador.

NewJeans are seeking to cut ties with Ador after accusing them of mistreatment, and have said they will challenge the court's ruling.

The Hong Kong concert on Sunday night marked the group's first public appearance since the court's decision.

After debuting their new song, the five members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Heyin took turns to read a letter addressing their fans in English and Korean.

"This stage means so much to us and every single one of you who gives us strength just by being here," Hanni and Dani said.

"It is really hard for us to say this, but this might be our last performance for a little while. Out of respect for the court's decision, we've decided to pause all our activities for now.

"It wasn't an easy decision," they added, "but we believe this is something we need to do at this moment."

The group also said that the decision was "about protecting ourselves so that we can come back even stronger".

"We had to speak up to protect the values that we believe in, and that was a choice that we don't regret at all," they added.

"We surely believe that standing up for our dignity, our rights and everything we deeply care about is something we had to do, and that belief will not change."

The speech ended an hour-long headlining set in front of a crowd of more than 11,000 fans at the AsiaWorld Expo Arena, Hong Kong's largest live music venue.

The group performed under their new name NJZ, in seeming defiance of last week's ruling.

In a statement on Monday, Ador said they "regret the members' decision to proceed with a performance under a name other than NewJeans, despite the court order, and their unilateral announcement of a suspension of activities".

"Ador is fully committed to supporting NewJeans, consistent with the terms of our legally valid exclusive contract," they added. "We hope to meet with the artists as soon as possible to discuss the path forward."

NewJeans and Ador have been embroiled in a lengthy dispute since August 2024, with the group going public with a number of complaints against the label, including that it had deliberately undermined their careers.

Hanni also alleged that she suffered workplace harassment while working with Ador.

The Seoul court ruled that NewJeans' claims did not "sufficiently prove that Ador violated their significant duty as part of their contract", adding that the music label had upheld "most of its duty including payment".

The court's decision prevents the band from conducting independent activities, which means it will face difficulty rebranding under its new name, NJZ, without facing severe financial penalties for breach of contract.

NewJeans are considered one of the brightest new bands in K-Pop, thanks to a playful blend of 1990s R&B and sugar-coated pop melodies.

In 2023, they were the eighth biggest-selling act in the world. Last year, they picked up a nomination for best group at the MTV Awards.