HONG KONG — K-pop girl group NewJeans has announced a pause on all activities days after a South Korean court ruled against its five members in a long-running dispute with record label Ador.
The band, one of the top-selling acts in the world, said Sunday night during a show in Hong Kong that it might be their “last performance for a little while,” sending shock waves through the audience.
Last year, NewJeans announced a split from Ador after accusing the label of “mistreatment,” including “deliberate miscommunications” and workplace harassment. The band members also renamed themselves NJZ and began to organize their own activities.
Ador, a subsidi of Hybe, the South Korean entertainment giant behind the global K-pop sensation BTS, denied the allegations and filed an injunction in Janu to assert its position as the group’s management agency.
On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Ador, upholding an injunction against NewJeans carrying out independent performances or solo commercial activities.
The group said it respected the court decision but would challenge it.
In their first public appearance since the ruling, NewJeans — performing as NJZ — debuted a new song called “Pit Stop” on Sunday night in front of a crowd of more than 11,000 fans at the ComplexCon Hong Kong festival.
But the fans’ excitement didn’t last long, with the group making a shocking announcement.
“Out of respect for the court’s decision, we’ve decided to pause all our activities for now,” said member Pham Ngoc Han, who goes by Hanni.
