Two members of NewJeans, Hyein and Haerin, will return to their record label Ador, the agency has announced, in a move that has led fans to question whether the K-pop group will now split up.
NewJeans has been locked in a legal battle with Ador, since the five-member group announced last year that they were leaving the agency because of mistreatment and manipulation. Ador has denied these claims.
Last month, a South Korean court ruled that NewJeans's contract with Ador - which runs until 2029 - remains valid. NewJeans said it would appeal.
The dispute has rocked the K-pop industry, where record labels typically exercise strict control over their artists.
Ador is a subsidiary label of Hybe, South Korea's biggest music label behind chart-topping groups such as BTS.
In a statement on X, Ador wrote that Hyein and Haerin had decided to respect the court's latest ruling after thoughtful consideration with their respective families and thorough discussions with ADOR.
We request the warm support from the fans and respectfully urge you to avoid engaging in unfounded speculation regarding the members, the statement said.
Plans for the other three members - Hanni, Danielle, and Minji - are unclear.
NewJeans's legal representative declined to comment when contacted by the BBC.
Formed in July 2022, NewJeans had a dramatic fallout with their agency in 2024.
It was sparked by the controversial dismissal of Ador CEO Min Hee-jin, who had also been NewJeans's mentor.
NewJeans then accused Ador of mistreatment and deliberate miscommunications and manipulation, and set out several demands including the reinstatement of Min.
When those demands were not met, the five members declared they were leaving Ador, which in turn initiated a lawsuit to prevent them from departing.
Following the ruling two weeks ago, NewJeans's lawyer stated the trust between the group and their management has been completely ruined and that the group would continue its fight.
While NewJeans pledged to appeal the ruling, legal experts generally agree they would have very little chance of winning given how clearly the court sided with Ador.
The deadline for filing the appeal is the end of Wednesday. It is unclear if NewJeans has filed anything yet.
Fans have expressed worries that the latest move would spell the end of NewJeans in its current configuration. If only two out of five members continue their contracts and the rest end things like this, that's basically a disbandment, one person wrote on X.
Since its debut, NewJeans had been poised for a meteoric rise, scoring early chart-toppers. However, their drawn-out legal battle has forced them into a hiatus.
When NewJeans rebranded themselves NJZ and tried to release a new song, their activities were halted by a court injunction initiated by Ador.
