K-pop girl group NewJeans, currently locked in a legal battle with the label they abruptly left last year, performed a new song under a new name, NJZ, in Hong Kong before announcing that they would pause all group activities.
The announcement comes after a court ruling that bars the group’s five members from taking on promotional activities without the agency’s approval.
Ador, a subsidiary of K-pop entertainment giant HYBE, called the decision “regretful” and said it hopes to communicate with the members soon.
The five-member group performed their new track “Pit Stop” at the ComplexCon music festival in Hong Kong on March 24. The five members — Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein — took the stage not as NewJeans but as their new name, NJZ.
“Tonight’s performance may be our last for a while,” a member said at the close of the show. The group decided to comply with the court’s ruling and suspend all activities. “It wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s one we feel is necessary.”
Last week, a Seoul court granted Ador’s injunction to ban the five from pursuing independent promotional activities without the agency. The Seoul Central District Court ruled that “the claims and materials submitted by NewJeans members do not prove that Ador violated any contractual obligations or that the trust between the parties has been irreparably damaged.”
In an interview with TIME, the group said they were “disappointed” with the court ruling but had not expected the problems in the K-pop industry to change overnight.
“Maybe this is just the current reality in Korea,” they told TIME. “It almost feels like Korea wants to turn us into revolutionaries.”
“We knew from the beginning that this wouldn’t be easy,” member Minji said at the Hong Kong performance. “We accept the court’s ruling and the process, but we will continue to raise our voices to protect one another. We do not regret our decision.”
“Some people might think it would’ve been better if we had just endured and stayed with Ador,” said the youngest member, Hyein. “For us, this was about protecting ourselves. We believe that by doing so, we can return stronger. That’s why we stand by our decision.”
Until a ruling is issued in the main lawsuit, NewJeans remains legally bound to Ador and cannot perform or promote without the agency’s approval. Despite the court’s decision, the group went ahead with the Hong Kong performance as NJZ, drawing criticism from Ador, which said it had tried but failed to reach the members on-site.
The group’s decision to halt activities is seen as a declaration that they have no intention of returning to Ador, even at the cost of pausing their careers.
Ador released a statement on March 24 stating it “deeply regrets that the members pushed ahead with a performance under a different name and unilaterally announced to suspend all activities despite the court ruling. “We remain committed to supporting NewJeans under the legally binding exclusive contract and hope to speak with the artists soon to discuss their future.”
