On May 13, a parent of one of the NewJeans' members disclosed to a media outlet that HYBE's CEO, Park Ji Won, expressed intentions to give the members an extended hiatus. This revelation has ignited worries regarding the group's future engagements.

The parent explained to Ilgan Sports that, "He (CEO) also mentioned that after the Tokyo Dome event, he planned to give NewJeans a long vacation," she continued, "I didn't ask how long the break would be, but at that moment, CEO Park said, 'It usually takes about a year and a half to recruit a Grammy-winning producer, but we'll try to do it as quickly as possible.' So when we came out, the moms were saying to each other, 'Since he said it takes 1 year 6 months to recruit a Grammy-winning producer, and he's trying to do it as quickly as possible, does that mean the hiatus will be about that long?' We said we'll ask about it when we meet next time."

In the interview, Ms. A emphasized, "We clearly told HYBE that we want NewJeans to continue with CEO Min (Min Hee Jin), a sentiment all five members' mothers share."

Addressing concerns about the potential neglect of the idols by HYBE without CEO Min, Ms. A mentioned, "Before this issue arose, we heard from CEO Min about plans for a NewJeans world tour next year. Now, they are talking about a long vacation..."

After hearing the news, Korean netizens started speculating about how long NewJeans might be on hiatus if they were given a break. One netizen even compared the potential length of their hiatus to the duration of mandatory military service.

Under South Korean law, the majority of able-bodied men are required to fulfill military service obligations lasting between 18 to 21 months. Consequently, Korean netizens have voiced concerns that HYBE might enforce a hiatus for NewJeans equivalent to military service duration, potentially leading to a gradual discontinuation of the group's activities.

Korean netizens commented: 
"Just let NewJeans go free."

"They are so crazy, they would definitely leave NewJeans in the storage and let them discontinue their activities."

"That's so trash."

"This is giving me worries about the girls."

"They're thinking that if they keep NewJeans in storage their other groups would make it big."

"They are giving the girls a long break without any ill intent?"

"Please let NewJeans go."

"Even Min Hee JIn said the girls did nothing wrong. I get why Min Hee Jin is so frustrated."

SEE ALSO: HYBE CEO Lee Jae Sang discusses NewJeans’ record-breaking success amid internal conflicts