NewJeans: K-pop group talk to BBC after setback in court

In their first meeting since a judge barred them from leaving their report label, NewJeans have told the BBC that “it took a huge amount of courage to speak out,” in a situation that has shook the K-pop industry.

” This struggle is required.” Although it will be really hard and lengthy, we may keep doing what we have done so far and talk up”, said Haerin, one of the singer’s five people.

We felt it was crucial to share our experiences with the universe. The best decisions we’ve made thus far have been the ones we may have made.

NewJeans looked unstoppable in the figures when they launched what was an unexpected revolution in the high-pressure, tightly-controlled universe of K-pop. With their decision to leave Ador, the brand that brought them to prominence, in November, Hanni, Hyein, Haerin, Danielle, and Minji stunned South Korea and supporters everywhere.

They alleged mistreatment, workplace harassment and an attempt to “undermine their careers”, which Ador denies. It sued to enforce their seven-year contract, which is set to expire in 2029, and sought an injunction against any commercial activities by the group.

On Friday, a South Korean court granted it, ordering NewJeans to stop all “independent” activities, including song releases and advertising deals, while the case was still under way. NewJeans has since challenged the injunction in court.

Friday’s decision was a” shock”, the party told the BBC.

” Some folks believe that we are popular enough to say or do whatever we want.” However, the reality is that it’s not at all that,” Hyein said. ” We held it in for a long time, and only now have we suddenly spoken up about what we think, what we feel and the unfairness we’ve experienced”.

The K-pop economy has been repeatedly attacked for the stress it places on its celebrities to perform and succeed as well as to seem flawless. But rarely do problems seep into the government, exposing stars ‘ grievances and fissures with their labeling.

Following a lengthy and common dispute with Ador and its parent company, Hybe, South Korea’s largest music label, whose clientele includes K-pop icons like Song and Seventeen, NewJeans ‘ dramatic statement last year came after a long and heated row.

According to Ador, “most of their claims have resulted from miscommunications,” Ador told the BBC in a speech that the agreement with NewJeans is still in place. The judge said that NewJeans did not” properly show” that Ador had violated the agreement, adding that the brand had upheld “most of its responsibilities, including payment”.

When the announcement of the decision came to an end, the girls were practicing for a achievement in Hong Kong. They learned the answer when Minji received a anxious communication from her mother asking,” She asked, are you okay?” And I was like ‘ what happened?'”

Minji describes her as stunned. When she told them, she was the same as the people. ” At first I thought I didn’t speak her properly”, Danielle says. ” We were all a little shocked,” he said.

Their subsequent interview with the BBC came after their first two in as many months. In the first meeting, which happened before the decision, the group had been excited to launch their new one, Pit Quit- their first since they announced their break from Ador and renamed themselves NJZ.

They described how they handled a challenging time, including finding solace in eating. Minji had said,” I’m not really good at it, but it’s kind of healing,” before promising to prepare an “amazing dinner” for the group.

In the second interview, which was 24 hours after the judgement, they seemed disheartened and unsettled, less confident of what was to occur. ” We might have chosen to go through this, but sometimes we would have chosen…” Hanni teared up as she ran away.

She continued,” We’ll just have to leave it to day, even if we do everything we can,” adding that even if things don’t turn out the way we hope they will. I’m convinced time would find it out for us”.

The following night, they took to the stage in Hong Kong and, despite the court order, performed Pit Stop under their new name. But the evening, which they had pitched to fans as a fresh start, ended in tears as they told the crowd they were going on a hiatus.

” It wasn’t any easy decision to make”, Hyein said on stage, as each of them took turns to address their fans. However, for us, it’s about protecting ourselves right now so that we may arrive back stronger.

The young actors ‘ prospect, which ranges from 16 to 20 years old, is now in doubt.

But they tell the BBC that this is not the end of the road for them as they “find more way” ahead. Minji claims that this gives them time to prepare what they want to do because the legal fight is anticipated to last for weeks, if not years.

Always since they debuted in July 2022, NewJeans have delivered impressive success with each fresh release- Wow, Ditto, Super Shy, Attention. They were the seventh biggest-selling action in the world a year later.

Their exceptionally lively fusion of 1990s R&amp, B and sugar-coated music melodies broke through a K-pop industry dominated by technological beats, according to critics, who called them a “game-changer.” And their breezy dance moves stood out among super-synchronised videos.

They were still on the rise when Min Hee-jin, their long-time mentor and Ador’s former boss, began trading accusations publicly with Hybe. Min had launched Ador and NewJeans, before she sold Hybe a majority stake in the agency.

Hybe was now accusing her of plotting Ador’s takeover and Min, in an emotional press conference, accused them of undermining NewJeans by launching another girl group with a similar style. Min left the company, alleging she was forced to leave.

That’s when NewJeans broke their silence – they demanded Min’s return in two weeks in a livestream.

They were not able to contact her for a while, Danielle told the BBC in the first interview:” We didn’t know what was happening and we didn’t have a way to support her. That itself was difficult because she was always there for us and, in some ways, a role model for us.

Ador had said Min could not return as CEO, but could continue as an internal director and NewJeans’ producer. When Min didn’t return, NewJeans announced that they were leaving Ador and accused the label of not meeting other demands: an apology for alleged bullying and actions against what they claimed were controversial internal reports.

Ador, which denies all of these claims, gives the impression that Min is to blame for their dispute with NewJeans. The former label’s management’s failure to provide distorted explanations to their artists, which causes miscommunications, is at the heart of this problem. They can be fully addressed and resolved upon the members ‘ return to the label”, Ador told the BBC in a statement.

In the months since, Hanni, a Vietnamese-Australian, testified in tears to South Korean lawmakers in an inquiry into workplace harassment. “I came to the realisation that this wasn’t just a feeling. I was honestly convinced that the company hated us,” she told them, after describing several incidents where she said the group felt undermined and bullied.

NewJeans’ case was dismissed because the labour ministry said K-pop stars did not qualify as workers and were not entitled to the same rights.

Then in December, NewJeans took a special step further by supporting supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s disgraced president, who had briefly imposed martial law. The organization provided free food and beverages to the people who showed up at the massive protest rallies.

With each round of publicity, there was also criticism, much of it involving their age. Some called them” stupid and reckless,” and some even called them “ungrateful” for choosing to fight with Ador, while others called them” cross the line.” Others questioned whether they were making their own decisions.

Being young doesn’t mean they should be taken less seriously, the group says. Hanni points out that it’s simple to devalue the fact that we are actually trying to do something. The decisions we’ve made over the past year have been made through a lot of discussion between us.

As the dispute has dragged on, the critics have got louder, dubbing the girls as troublemakers rather than game-changers. NewJeans claim they have been “very aware of the intense scrutiny and judgment” ever since holding that press conference last year, which their critics welcomed.

There hasn’t been a single time when we’ve spoken up without being agitated or up in a commotion,” says Minji. ” We’ve thought more than anyone else about how much responsibility each of our actions carries, and we’re currently bearing that responsibility ourselves”.

How long will their break be, it’s not known. Ador claims it will meet with the group soon to talk about the future, but NewJeans insists it isn’t safe enough to return.

Their lawsuit with Ador will return to the headlines next week when the hearings begin- and so will all five of them.

The one thing that seems to stay constant is their resolve to get through this together.

We’ve always said to each other,” If one person doesn’t want to do it, then we’re not going to do it,” Hanni had said two weeks ago. It has to be all all five of us that agrees to do it. That’s how we came here, and that’s how we will make it to the end.

She said on Saturday,” We’re gonna get through it.”