K-pop band NewJeans announces hiatus amid ‘mental and emotional toll’ of legal battle
Written by laserteam on March 24, 2025
(CNN) – 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.”
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.
