HONG KONG, March 24 — K-pop group NJZ (NewJeans) announced a temporary hiatus following their performance at ComplexCon in Hong Kong on March 23.
During the event, the group premiered their new song Pit Stop and delivered an English statement explaining their decision to pause activities out of respect for a recent court ruling, according to a report published in South Korean entertainment news website Soompi.
They reassured fans that this was not the end, but rather a necessary break.
The decision follows a ruling by the Seoul Central District Court on March 21, which granted an injunction preventing the NewJeans members from operating independently under the name NJZ.
The court upheld ADOR’s status as their agency until a final decision is made in the ongoing contract dispute.
The main trial is set to begin on April 3.
Following the ruling, the NJZ members announced plans to appeal but proceeded with their scheduled ComplexCon performance.
Meanwhile, ADOR stated they would continue managing NewJeans and provided staff support for the event in Hong Kong.
In their statement, the NJZ members acknowledged the difficulties they have faced and emphasised their commitment to protecting their values and rights.
They expressed gratitude to their supporters and said they would return stronger after taking time to recover.
The group concluded by thanking their fans, promising to reunite in the future despite the current challenges.
The NJZ members’ full English statement from ComplexCon is as follows:
“This stage means so much to us and every single one of you who gives us strength just by being here. It is really hard for us to say this, but this might be our last performance for a little while. Out of respect for the court’s decision, we’ve decided to pause all our activities for now. It wasn’t an easy decision, but we believe this is something we need to do at this moment.
“Honestly, we’ve known from the start that this journey wasn’t going to be easy and even though we accept the court’s ruling and this whole process, we had to speak up to protect the values that we believe in, and that was a choice that we don’t regret at all. We surely believe that standing up for our dignity, our rights and everything we deeply care about is something we had to do, and that belief will not change.
“We understand and know that today’s news might be disappointing or upsetting but it was not an easy decision for us to make either. But at the moment for us, it’s about protecting ourselves so that we can come back even stronger.
“There was a lot that we had to go through… things that really we only know about. But even [through] all that, there are so many things that we wanted to share with you guys and so many fun plans that we are excited to announce. But right now, though, it feels too hard to keep going at this pace, and as strong as we are trying to stay, it has honestly taken a bit of mental and emotional toll on us. However, this doesn’t mean that we are going to give up. We will keep pushing forward no matter what, and coming to Hong Kong and receiving all this love and support from you guys at ComplexCon gave us so much strength.
“Right now, our hearts are a little bit worn out, and it feels a bit too hard to keep going at this pace. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to give up; we’re going to keep going. With this decision we’ve made, we’re respecting the court’s decision, and for now, it’s just us taking a step back to pause, take a breath and gather our hearts and ourselves before moving forward.
“To everybody who has been believing in us and supporting us through everything from the bottom of our hearts, thank you, and we love you so, so, so, so much, and we can’t express how grateful we are, and we promise, no matter what the circumstances we will meet again soon.”
