NewJeans Faces Backlash After Declaring Activity Suspension

NewJeans has announced a halt to their activities in response to a court ruling that favored their agency, Ador, regarding a provisional injunction. The group has portrayed themselves as victims in this situation, but public sentiment has been largely negative. Many fans and observers are urging them to comply with the court's decision and stop what they perceive as victimhood theatrics.

In an interview with BBC News Korea on March 26, NewJeans stated, "The decisions and choices we've made over the past year have been agreed upon by all five members. If even one of us disagrees, we wouldn't proceed. We tried to keep everything quiet while dealing with this situation, but it has reached a breaking point." They expressed their shock at the court's ruling, emphasizing that while some may think they are in a position to do whatever they want, they have only recently begun to voice their frustrations about the injustices they have faced.

Following the court's decision, NewJeans expressed disappointment in an interview with TIME, suggesting that this might reflect the harsh realities of the Korean entertainment industry. They called for change and growth, claiming that the system seems to want to label them as revolutionaries.

Despite their claims, public reaction has been cold. The Seoul Central District Court ruled on March 21 that the members' claims against Ador regarding contract violations were unfounded. NewJeans had cited 11 reasons for their contract termination, including concerns over production gaps following the dismissal of former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin, comments made by former HYBE CEO Park Ji-won about giving the members long breaks, and various disputes involving other artists and managers.

Particularly, the members alleged that Hani was subjected to workplace bullying when a manager from the group ILY:1 told her to "ignore it." Hani even shed tears during a National Assembly hearing regarding this issue. However, the court did not recognize any of these claims as factual.

NewJeans and Min Hee-jin have previously mentioned feeling mistreated by HYBE, claiming that the company prioritized the debut of LE SSERAFIM over them and that ILY:1 plagiarized their concept. However, Hani later stated in an interview that she felt uncomfortable discussing these matters, as they involved other groups and she did not want to impact them negatively.

Moreover, it is difficult to attribute NewJeans' success solely to the members and Min Hee-jin, as HYBE invested a significant amount of money into their debut promotion. Within just a year, NewJeans reportedly received settlements of 5 billion KRW, a rare level of treatment for K-pop idols.

Despite this, NewJeans unilaterally declared their contract termination and refused to engage in dialogue with Ador. They have continued to speak out against the K-pop system and societal norms in international media, disregarding the court's ruling.

As a result, public opinion is rapidly turning against them. Netizens have expressed sentiments such as, "They are not victims of Korean society or the K-pop system; they are more like beneficiaries," and "It seems they are trying to portray themselves as victims while ignoring social rules and laws."