Girl group NewJeans may still dominate playlists, but in the real world, their silence is growing louder.

The group remains on an extended hiatus, with its last official activity being the release of its Japanese debut single, “Supernatural,” on June 21, 2024. Its most recent release was a single titled “How Sweet” on May 24, 2024.

Since then, members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein have been embroiled in a legal battle with their agency, ADOR, and held a news conference in November to publicly announce the dispute. Plans to redebut under the group name NJZ have since fallen through.

On June 17, NewJeans lost its appeal to the Seoul High Court, which upheld a lower court's decision to bar the group from pursuing independent activities outside ADOR. The case is now going to trial, which is likely to lengthen the group's hiatus.

Nevertheless, NewJeans’ cultural impact on K-pop remains intact.

“NewJeans isn’t just a successful group,” music critic Kim Do-heon said. “It’s a fully realized team that reflects the cohesive vision of its creator. No other group has matched that level of cohesion and consistency.”

Fading from the ad scene

The advertising world, however, is increasingly viewing the prolonged absence as a risk. Girl group aespa recently filmed a performance video titled “Dirty Work” using the iPhone 16 Pro — mirroring NewJeans’ high-profile “ETA” (2023) music video, which was also shot entirely on an iPhone.

Other celebrities have taken over brands for which NewJeans was initially an ambassador, such as NMIXX’s Haewon with Coca-Cola, and boy band Stray Kids with Pepero, the latter of which NewJeans had advertised for two consecutive years.

Meanwhile, girl group Meovv performed at a Nike running event in Seoul in May, signaling the brand’s shift away from NewJeans, which it had endorsed up until last year.

Jewelry brand Stonehenge continues to sell products from its “Lucky U” campaign featuring NewJeans but has since removed the group’s images from its website. Shinhan Bank also opted not to renew its contract with the group at the end of 2024.

Signs of change are also emerging in the luxury sector. Minji is no longer listed among Chanel’s brand ambassadors, and other labels appear to be scouting new faces rather than renewing with the group.

“Brands value relevance, but they also look for reliability and continued visibility,” said an advertising agency representative.

Yet some brand deals managed by ADOR remain in effect. Danielle attended a product launch for Swiss watchmaker Omega in Kyoto, Japan, on June 18 and appeared in a Celine collaboration spread in the June issue of Japanese fashion magazine SPUR. The other members can also continue their ambassador roles within the scope of their contracts with ADOR.

“K-pop is a fast-moving industry,” said critic Lim Hee-yoon. “Even a one-year break can be fatal, no matter how successful a group has been.”

In Japan, NewJeans' absence is being felt. It has already been a year since Hanni’s nostalgic performance of Seiko Matsuda’s “Aoi Sangoshou” (1980) at Tokyo Dome. According to Google Trends, searches for “NewJeans” in Japan plummeted after the group suspended activities following its March performance in Hong Kong. In contrast, aespa has maintained steady interest with fan meetings and new releases in Japan.

New contenders emerge


Girl group ILLIT, previously caught in a plagiarism controversy raised by former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, has emerged from the shadow of the scandal and carved out its own identity.

Its February single, titled “Almond Chocolate,” which was included in the soundtrack for the Japanese film “It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love,” became a sleeper hit. ILLIT’s EP “bomb,” released in June, placed No. 2 on Oricon’s daily album ranking. The lead track, “Do the Dance,” has drawn praise for its quirky and playful energy, a signature of the group.

“ILLIT and NewJeans started from different places, and ILLIT is now growing into its own unique group,” Kim added.

Meanwhile, a wave of well-funded rookies is entering the scene. Starship Entertainment’s new girl group KiiiKiii shot to No. 1 on YouTube’s trending videos with its debut song “I Do Me” and won first place on a music show just 13 days after debut. Some fans say the rise reminds them of NewJeans’ early days.

SM Entertainment’s new group Hearts2Hearts, recently named honorary ambassadors for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, recently released a new track titled “Style” featuring shuffle dance choreography.

P Nation’s first girl group, Baby DONT Cry, produced by i-dle's Soyeon, is also drawing attention. ADOR is preparing to launch a new boy band as well.

Allday Project, a coed group including Annie, the granddaughter of Shinsegae Group Chairwoman Lee Myung-hee, prereleased the music video for one of its lead tracks, “Famous,” on June 16. The video surpassed 10 million views in four days and trended on YouTube in the United States. The group’s other lead track, “Wicked,” dropped on Monday to mark its official debut.

With NewJeans on pause, the emergence of new groups eager to fill the gap seems inevitable.

“Fans who were drawn to NewJeans’ fresh image may feel a disconnect now that the group is entangled in courtroom drama,” Lim said. “That’s why attention is shifting to new faces.”

Yet critics also say NewJeans’ distinctive musicality and artistic vision remain unmatched.

“Some new groups have good music but weak concepts, or strong concepts that the members can’t pull off,” Kim said. “I haven’t seen another group with the same level of balance among producers, trainers and performers.”

Lim added, “The fact that people still miss NewJeans, even after a year, speaks to their lasting appeal.”

ADOR remains hopeful for a reconciliation. In a press release on Wednesday, June 18, the company stated, “We sincerely hope the members will return to their rightful place as NewJeans. As the group nears its third debut anniversary next month, we are prepared to offer full support for its continued growth and success.”


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HWANG JEE-YOUNG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]