Why Did NewJeans Suddenly Halt Their Activities?

In recent days, the K-pop community has been abuzz with the latest developments in the internal conflict within HYBE Corporation. Just when things seemed to have settled after the court ruled that Min Hee Jin would not be dismissed, the news outlet Dispatch stirred up controversy again. NewJeans, HYBE, Min Hee Jin, and Source Music have once more become the center of public attention.

On July 23, Dispatch unexpectedly released pre-debut documents of NewJeans, accusing Min Hee Jin of poaching trainees from Source Music, a company acquired by HYBE in 2019. At that time, Min Hee Jin was recruited from SM Entertainment to join Bang Si Hyuk’s “big house” with the ambition of creating a top K-pop girl group. Initially, NewJeans was called “Team N,” with a planned lineup of seven trainees.

The current members of NewJeans, including Minji, Haerin, Hanni, and Danielle, had trained together to debut under Source Music. However, due to disagreements, Min Hee Jin decided to “go independent,” establish ADOR, and debut NewJeans with a five-member lineup and an investment of 300 billion won from HYBE.

To refute the initial accusations of poaching trainees, Dispatch released photos and videos of “Team N” as evidence. Messages indicating that Min Hee Jin relied on a shaman to form the group were also exposed.

This has sparked outrage among NewJeans fans. The parents of the five girls have joined the fray, criticizing HYBE and Source Music. The stance of NewJeans’ parents is entirely in support of Min Hee Jin.

Amidst the escalating tensions, ADOR announced that NewJeans would temporarily suspend activities. The reason given was to allow the girls to rest after a strenuous schedule and to prepare for a new image.

“NewJeans has just successfully completed their recent activities after numerous challenges and tireless efforts. Now, the girls will have time to rest and regain their strength. Afterward, they will start preparing for their comeback with a completely new look,” ADOR announced.

In the past three months, NewJeans has released two double singles, “How Sweet” and “Supernatural,” promoting in both Korea and Japan. The group achieved success with their first fan meeting, filling the “sacred ground” of Tokyo Dome. However, due to the internal conflict between their “creator” and HYBE, NewJeans’ comeback has suffered significant setbacks. The group’s achievements have alarmingly declined compared to their string of hits during their first two years of debut.

Observing NewJeans’ decline, the public believes that the cause lies in the power struggle. From being the darling of the corporation, NewJeans is no longer prioritized with the best resources. Poorly planned music promotions and the distraction caused by the drama have prevented NewJeans from shining as before.

Additionally, NewJeans has been absent from two major HYBE events, including Weverse Con 2024 and the Grammy collaboration exhibition. All of this has fueled speculation that NewJeans is being sidelined by the corporation. For this reason, ADOR’s announcement of NewJeans’ suspension of activities amid the “boiling water” cannot avoid speculation.

Many are worried that after their “Japan advancement,” NewJeans will be neglected due to the increasingly irreconcilable conflict with Min Hee Jin. Although they are “Min Hee Jin’s creations,” NewJeans are still artists under HYBE. In the worst-case scenario, NewJeans could be “shelved,” making it difficult for them to return.