HONG KONG (CelebrityAccess) — On Sunday, the K-pop girl group NewJeans announced they would be taking an indefinite hiatus after suffering a legal setback in their bid to part ways with their label and management agency, ADOR, a subsidiary of the K-pop conglomerate HYBE.
The group sought to terminate their contract with ADOR, citing irreconcilable differences, and had announced plans to rebrand under a new name, NJZ. However, last week, a South Korean court issued an injunction blocking them from engaging in “commercial activities” under the new moniker.
At the second annual ComplexCon Hong Kong on Sunday, the group—consisting of Danielle, Haerin, Hanni, Hyein, and Minji—performed separately before taking the stage together. Before leaving, they read statements in both English and Korean announcing plans for a hiatus until their legal dispute is resolved, according to The New York Times.
NewJeans’ dispute with HYBE Corporation, the parent company of ADOR, dates back to April 2024, when HYBE requested the resignation of ADOR’s CEO, Min Hee-jin, accusing her of attempting to take the label independent.
Following Min’s removal in August, NewJeans publicly supported their former label head and criticized HYBE, accusing the company of harassment and leaking private information. Tensions escalated in October when Hanni testified before South Korea’s National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee, alleging labor violations within HYBE.
In November, NewJeans formally announced their intent to leave ADOR, alleging breach of contract among other claims. The legal dispute culminated on March 21, 2025, when the Seoul Central District Court issued an injunction preventing the group from operating independently, citing insufficient evidence of contractual violations by ADOR.
