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Fans Contemplate NewJeans’ Brief Journey as Three-Year Milestone Nears: Questioning Their Choice of a Challenging Route

Since their debut in July 2022, NewJeans has been one of the brightest new acts in K-pop, quickly establishing themselves as a top-tier girl group with hits like "Attention," "Hype Boy," "Ditto," and "Super Shy." Their music and image captured fans worldwide almost immediately. But despite their explosive rise, the group’s career has faced serious setbacks due to a prolonged legal dispute with their agency, ADOR.

Less than two years after stepping onto the scene, NewJeans sought to terminate their exclusive contract, citing mistreatment as their reason for wanting out. ADOR, however, has been fighting to keep the contract intact, denying any breach on their part and maintaining that the members are still bound to the company. This legal battle has significantly stalled the girl group’s activities.

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An important development came recently when the courts granted ADOR an injunction against the members, blocking them from doing independent work outside the company. Because of this, NewJeans has not released any new music for over a year. On top of that, most of their sponsorship deals have ended, with other idols and groups picking up those endorsements.

July 22 will mark NewJeans’ third anniversary, a milestone that fans would normally celebrate with the group. But with the ongoing lawsuit and the future of the members uncertain, no one knows if the group will hold any special events or releases. ADOR shared their hopes about the anniversary:

"We hope the recent ruling serves as a turning point for the members to return to their rightful place as NewJeans and resume their group activities.
As NewJeans approaches their third debut anniversary next month, we will do our utmost to support their continued growth and success."

Meanwhile, netizens online have been sharing mixed feelings about the group’s quiet period, going back and forth between missing the music and wrestling with the situation’s complexity.

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Some fans have expressed heartfelt nostalgia:

"I miss them so much…"

Others are a bit more pragmatic or even critical:

"People who want NewJeans to release new songs should at least raise money for the penalty fee for breaking their contractㅋㅋ You all should show that much sincerity at least"
"If you miss them, you should send a protest truck to tell them to go back to ADOR.. I’m not even being sarcastic, that’s probably the only way to see them at this point."

Others are more resigned to waiting out the legal battle:

"Whether they win the lawsuit or not, I’ll see them in 3 years when their contract is over"
"I miss them so much, but their happiness is the most important thing to me"

There’s also criticism aimed at the group’s management and those involved behind the scenes:

"I’m still listening to their songs.. At first, I was cheering them on with their legal case, but I gradually didn’t understand why they were doing it, it’s a shame.. I think Min Hee Jin is the biggest problem here"
"If they had carefully built their careers, they would have continued to do well, but why did they throw away their own luck and choose to take a difficult path? Sigh.."

Some fans are so disillusioned that they’ve lost interest altogether:

"I don’t even want to see them in the entertainment industry anymore"
"I’m not even interested in them anymore, it’s been so long that I stopped caring"

Yet others still cling to hope, even just for a glimpse or a performance:

"At this point, I’d be happy to hear even one new song from them.. no, even just one performance stage.."
"I’ve realized that idols are nothing more than their own images, and after they’ve ruined their image, I don’t want to see a single song or stage from them"

Reflecting on their earlier success:

"Their songs were really good, but they won’t be able to recreate that kind of sound unless they go back to ADOR"
"For the past few years, summer = NewJeans ㅜㅜ"

But there’s also blunt disappointment:

"I don’t want to see them lol, they should apologize for everything they’ve done"
"It’s a shame, but I think they’ve already missed their chance…"

As NewJeans nears their third anniversary, the unfolding legal saga casts a shadow over what was once a meteoric rise. The outcome remains unclear, and whether or not fans will hear new music or see the group perform again soon is still up in the air. What is certain is that the group’s story is far from over, just paused at a complicated crossroads.

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