The group NewJeans marked their 1,000th day since debut amid a pause in their activities.

Debuting on July 22, 2022, NewJeans immediately gained phenomenal popularity, breaking records in various major domestic and international charts for fastest, earliest, and highest accolades. They attracted so much attention that phrases like "the whole world is NewJeans" emerged.

However, last year, after HYBE identified signs of management takeover by the former ADOR president Min Hee-jin and the executives of ADOR, legal disputes between the two sides began, and the members of NewJeans also rebelled against ADOR.

The members of NewJeans held an emergency press conference last November, declaring the termination of their contract, claiming that their agency ADOR violated its contractual obligations. Afterward, the five members fulfilled only their scheduled activities before leaving ADOR to embark on independent activities under a new team name, NJZ.

ADOR filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court to legally confirm that their exclusive contract remains valid, and prior to that, they filed a request for a temporary injunction against the five members of NewJeans to prevent activities such as "preservation of agency status and contract signing in the advertising industry."

On the 21st of last month, the court accepted ADOR's temporary injunction request and issued a ruling that prohibited the members of NewJeans from independent activities. Subsequently, the members of NewJeans objected to the court's decision and submitted an application for reconsideration while declaring a halt to their activities. However, on the 16th, their application for reconsideration was also rejected, and the members expressed their intention to continue their legal battle by appealing immediately.

In the meantime, the members of NewJeans, who marked their 1,000th day since debut, conveyed a message to their fans through social media, saying, "Bunnies~! It has been 1,000 days since we met~! The 1,000 days with Bunnies were happy!"

Additionally, the members expressed gratitude, stating, "1,000 days with Bunnies. Members and Bunnies, congratulations! Thank you so much for always cheering us on; it really gives us strength. I hope Bunnies capture beautiful moments with light hearts, just like when I took this photo. Thank you, Bunnies."

"It's hard to believe that it has already been 1,000 days, but it has been. It still feels amazing and unbelievable that so many people value us so dearly. I'm always grateful. It's really precious and comforting to spend various moments together with those who genuinely cherish all five of us without conditions. I can’t know what moments we will share in the future! What matters is not what the moments are, but rather that we can share them with someone. I’ve been grateful so far and will continue to be!"

In particular, one member conveyed their feelings, saying, "I'm a bit sorry for not updating you often! I'm using this time to recharge. (It might be selfish, but it's necessary time, and I hope you understand. I can promise to be brighter and happier with you than anyone else when we meet later."

They added, "As I always say, our Bunnies are hard to find in this world, and I'm truly grateful just for the fact that you are by our side. Thank you so much for waiting for us even in this difficult situation. We've lost some time together, but I hope we can fill that with even better memories in the future. I certainly believe we can."

As such, as NewJeans marks their bittersweet 1,000th day since debut amid a hiatus, attention is focused on what path they will take in the future.

[Photo] OSEN DB, SNS

[OSEN]