K-pop group NU'EST has announced their breakup just weeks before their tenth anniversary.

Pledis Entertainment's exclusive artist contracts with the quintet will expire on March 14, according to a statement released by the group's management business.

Only Baekho (Kang Dong-ho) and Minhyun (Hwang Min-hyun) will have their contracts renewed, while JR (Kim Jong-hyun), Aron (Aaron Kwak), and Ren (Choi Min-gi) will be moving on to new phases in their careers.

Pledis has announced that the band will "finish off their formal operations as Nu'Est of Pledis Entertainment" with a new album in March, effectively ending the band's existence for the time being.

Pledis Entertainment's first boy band, Nu'Est, made their debut on March 15, 2012, with the single Face. Since then, they've had varying degrees of success, but after members featured on the popular Produce competition series, Minhyun went on to join the temporary boy band Wanna One, they became a phoenix-like act in the industry.

Pledis' statement adds, "The trio has been adored by many with their sophisticated music, performances, and the way they write their dramatic narrative with their bold attitude since their debut." "We'd want to express our profound gratitude to JR, Aron, Baekho, Minhyun, and Ren, who have consistently put their best foot forward over the last ten years."

Nu'Est has had several hits in South Korea during their career, and their most recent album, Romanticize, was released in April 2021, with the single Inside Out as the lead single.

In addition to their collaborative efforts, Nu'Est had two spin-off groups: the Mandarin-language Nu'Est M, which included a sixth Chinese member, and the four-member Nu'Est W, which was formed when Minhyun was away from Wanna One.

Pledis has grown into a key role in the K-pop scene since establishing Nu'Est, and is now a subsidiary of Hybe Entertainment. Pledis presently manages boy band Seventeen and female group Fromis 9 in addition to Nu'Est.