NewJeans breaks silence — is a four-member comeback on the way?

A new video released by NewJeans to mark their fourth debut anniversary [Provided by Ador]

NewJeans appears to be moving again. The group, which endured a prolonged crisis following a lawsuit over the termination of its exclusive contracts, has begun laying the groundwork for a return.

NewJeans marked its fourth debut anniversary Wednesday by dropping a special film titled "2026 Summer of NewJeans" and new group profile photos on its official SNS channels without prior notice, according to music industry sources.

The photos and video featured Minji alongside Hanni, Haerin and Hyein — a notable appearance given that her status had remained unresolved for some time. It was the first time in roughly a year and four months that NewJeans had posted team content on its official channels, after the group halted activities following a Hong Kong performance in March last year.

Haerin and Hyein confirmed their return to Ador in November last year, followed by Hanni in December. With Minji — who had maintained only that discussions were "proceeding positively" — now appearing in team content, NewJeans appears to be on the verge of a comeback as a four-member group.

The road to this point was far from smooth. The conflict traces back to April 2024, when a management dispute erupted between Hybe and Min Hee-jin, then chief executive of Ador, setting off a chain of events that would engulf the group.

In November of that year, NewJeans notified Ador of the termination of their exclusive contracts and attempted to pursue independent activities. A court granted Ador's injunction request, however, halting those efforts. The members ultimately declared they would respect the court's ruling and announced a suspension of activities after performing at ComplexCon Hong Kong in March last year.

Haerin and Hyein returned to Ador in November last year, with Hanni following in December. The agency said at the time that discussions with Minji were ongoing. During this period, the agency terminated Danielle's contract, citing her responsibility for the group's attempted departure. Danielle has since continued on her own path, sharing updates through her personal SNS — including a recent post that read, "Life sometimes gets cloudy, but the light always comes back."

The atmosphere shifted this year, however. In May, scheduling records at a well-known recording studio in Copenhagen, Denmark, showed signs of music production work linked to Ador and NewJeans. Industry observers noted that pre-production — including demo sourcing and recording — appeared to be nearing completion.

Ador described the release as "special content prepared for fans to mark NewJeans' fourth debut anniversary," adding that "the specific timing and format of activities will be officially announced once all discussions have been finalized."

shee@heraldcorp.com