NewJeans made a powerful statement during a live broadcast in Japan as they appeared wearing black ribbons to mourn the victims of the Jeju Air disaster.

On December 30, the group attended the 66th Brilliant! Japan Record Awards (referred to as the "Record Awards"), a prestigious event that was broadcast live. NewJeans took home the Excellence Award for their hit song "Supernatural", making it their second consecutive win after receiving the same honor last year for "Ditto".

South Korea is currently in a national mourning period until January 4, following the tragic Jeju Air crash.

In a heartfelt statement, their agency ADOR shared, "We extend our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in this tragic accident and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families enduring profound grief."

They further explained their decision to continue with scheduled events, saying, "After comprehensive consideration of the potential impact on the event organizers, we have decided to proceed with the scheduled activities. However, it is with a heavy heart that we engage in these events at this time. We ask for the understanding of our fans."

To show respect and honor the lives lost, NewJeans wore black flower-shaped ribbons on their outfits during the event. The group also shared a touching post on their "jeanzforfree" account with the caption, "With condolences in our hearts."

Photos from the event captured the members performing on stage, their black ribbons standing out as a solemn tribute amid the dazzling lights.

After their emotional appearance at the Record Awards, NewJeans is set to perform at "Countdown Japan 24/25", one of Japan's biggest year-end indoor festivals, on December 31.

Meanwhile, the Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which departed from Bangkok, Thailand, and was bound for Muan Airport, crashed on December 29. The plane attempted to land at Muan Airport without its landing gear deployed, leading to a catastrophic collision with airport structures and a fire.

This tragedy claimed 179 lives out of the 181 people onboard, including passengers, pilots, and crew members. In response, the South Korean government has declared a seven-day national mourning period.

NewJeans’ heartfelt gesture serves as a reminder of the grief shared by the nation, even as they continue to shine on the global stage.

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The battle between NewJeans (NJZ) and HYBE just got more intense! During a court hearing, NewJeans presented evidence claiming that ILLIT’s concept, styling, and choreography are too similar to theirs!

On March 7, the Seoul Central District Court held a hearing on ADOR’s injunction request to stop NewJeans (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, Hyein) from operating independently and signing advertising contracts without ADOR’s approval.

NewJeans’ legal team didn’t hold back, stating, “HYBE launched ILLIT as a copy of NewJeans. They tried to damage NewJeans’ brand and replace them.”

They added, “Even HYBE employees noticed it. NewJeans debuted three years earlier, but their project plans look shockingly similar. The structure, documents, and content are nearly identical.”

NewJeans’ side even compared hanbok photoshoots of both groups, saying, “At first glance, you can’t tell which one is NewJeans and which one is ILLIT.”

They added, “Why did they have to copy the same colors, styles, and textures? Even fans were the first to point this out, saying, ‘This is too much.’”

They also accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans’ iconic choreography. They presented a side-by-side comparison video of NewJeans’ “Attention” dance move, claiming that ILLIT directly copied it.

“Some people said ILLIT was just paying homage to their seniors, but NewJeans never gave permission for that,” they stated. “This is an unauthorized and almost identical copy of our signature moves.”

Instead of responding to these accusations, NewJeans’ side claimed that HYBE launched an internal audit against Min Hee-jin and engaged in media play. They added, “HYBE simply said, ‘We can’t determine if this is plagiarism, so let’s wait for the court’s ruling.’”

NewJeans members are fighting to leave ADOR, claiming their exclusive contract ended on November 28, 2023.

They even announced their new group name, ‘NJZ’, and have started independent promotions, including a song release at ComplexCon Hong Kong on March 23.

However, ADOR insists that NewJeans is under contract until July 31, 2029. The agency has filed lawsuits to prove the contract is still valid and to stop NewJeans from signing solo advertisement deals.

As the legal battle continues, fans are left wondering—is this just the beginning of an even bigger fight?

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