[SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn] The group NewJeans has announced that they will be starting their activities under a new name, NJZ. However, a dispute has arisen regarding claims that Bang Si-hyuk has obstructed the members' performances.
On the afternoon of the 19th, the parents of NJZ members claimed through a joint account that Bang Si-hyuk, the chairman of HYBE, pressured them to cancel their performances.
The parents stated, "We heard from a ComplexCon official that Chairman Bang personally called American representatives to ensure that NJZ's performances would be canceled. We are extremely upset and angry. HYBE seems to view the members merely as a means to make money, just as they did before." They expressed their frustration.
In particular, the parents emphasized that they received no response when they sent a complaint email to Chairman Bang, stating, "If you have so much to say, why not just call us directly? Why is the chairman of HYBE getting involved in a dispute with Ador?"
The NJZ members have officially announced that they will be embarking on independent activities, starting with a performance in Hong Kong next month, and will be re-debuting under the name NJZ instead of NewJeans.
The parents of the members also shared, "We are excited and thrilled to finally show a new side to our global fans, free from the terrible experiences with HYBE and Ador, and we are working hard to prepare for the performances." They conveyed this message to the fans.
In response to the claims made by the NJZ members, Ador stated, "Ador has never pressured the cancellation of NewJeans' Hong Kong performance. Chairman Bang has also confirmed that he has had no contact regarding the Hong Kong performance." They refuted the allegations.
Furthermore, Ador asserted, "We requested the organizers to use the official team name 'NewJeans' as we had asked domestic media, and we asked that the performances be conducted through Ador based on the exclusive contract." They emphasized that the exclusive contract with NewJeans is still valid.
[SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn]
(SBS Star)