NewJeans halts NJZ activities to honor court ruling amid agency dispute

K-pop group NewJeans announced that they will cease activities as "NJZ".

The five members of NewJeans—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Hyein, and Haerin—said on Sunday at ComplexCon held in Hong Kong that they will stop activities as NJZ.

"This stage means so much to us," the five members announced the news at the end of the performance. "It feels heavy on our hearts to deliver this news. Today might be our last performance for a while. We decided to stop all activities to respect the court's decision."

NewJeans members unilaterally terminated their contract with ADOR last November and began solo activities. In particular, they announced their new team name "NJZ" through a newly created social media account last month.

In response, ADOR sought to legally confirm the validity of the contract with the members by filing a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court, stating that the exclusive contract remains in effect. 

The South Korean court issued an injunction last Friday to stop members of NJZ from pursuing independent projects, marking the latest twist in a long-running dispute between the stars and their label that has gripped fans.

(Staff reporter and Chosunbiz)