NewJeans Announces Temporary Pause in Activities with Release of “Pit Stop” – Hong Kong Show to Be Final Performance

K-POP supergroup NewJeans announced on the 23rd (local time) that it would suspend its activities following its performance at ComplexCon in Hong Kong, marking that show as their last performance. The group stated it would respect a temporary restraining order issued by a Seoul court due to a dispute with their former agency, ADOR. During the concert held at the Asia World Expo Arena in Hong Kong that day, NewJeans debuted their new song “Pit Stop,” after which members Minzy, Hani, Danielle, Hyein, and Haerin took the stage to speak directly to their fans, known as “Bernies.” Hani and Danielle said, “This stage holds great meaning for us, and everyone here gives us strength,” adding, “But it’s really difficult to say this, yet this might be our last performance for a while.” NewJeans continued by explaining, “As a way to respect the court’s decision, we have decided to pause all activities for now. It wasn’t an easy decision, but we believe it is necessary at this moment.” The concert venue, filled with over 11,000 Hong Kong fans, fell into a solemn atmosphere amid the members’ serious statements. Previously, on the 21st, a Seoul court issued a temporary restraining order against ADOR, prohibiting NewJeans from “organizing and carrying out independent activities ranging from music production to signing advertising contracts.” This signifies that the ongoing dispute between NewJeans and ADOR, under HYBE, has entered legal proceedings. Back in November last year, NewJeans held a press conference stating that HYBE and ADOR had lost their authority to represent them and expressing their intention to leave the agencies. Unlike in previous years, NewJeans arranged solo performances rather than high-energy group shows during this concert, covering R&B tracks such as TLC’s “No Scrubs” and SWV’s “Use Your Heart.” NewJeans changed its official name from “NewJeans” to “NJZ” when it was added to the ComplexCon lineup in February. Meanwhile, the NewJeans side revealed plans to appeal against this court decision. This year’s ComplexCon was a large-scale pop culture festival that ran for three days, featuring 150 brands, 40 musicians/groups, and 400 creators.