The Seoul Central District Court has ruled against K-pop girl group NewJeans, rejecting the members’ attempt to cut ties with their label, ADOR, and pursue independent activities.
Court’s injunction
The court stated that if the group—now referring to themselves as NJZ—unilaterally terminated its exclusive contract and changed its name, HYBE’s subsidiary ADOR would suffer “significant damages.” The court further noted that such actions would “severely damage not only the brand value of NewJeans but also ADOR’s reputation as a management company,” it said, citing AFP. NewJeans is one of HYBE’s most successful acts; it sold 3 million albums in 2024, according to HYBE’s fourth-quarter report.
Based on the evidence presented, the court ruled that it was difficult to conclude that ADOR had violated its contractual agreements with the members.
The Korean label called the decision “judicious” and expressed a willingness to meet with the artists for an open discussion soon. ADOR also reaffirmed its role as NewJeans’ exclusive agency and its commitment to supporting the group.
During a press conference in November 2024, the five-member act announced its intention to leave ADOR over internal disputes, leadership conflicts, and allegations of artist mistreatment. In response, ADOR sought an injunction to maintain its role as the group’s official representative after Hanni, Haerin, Minji, Danielle, and Hyein continued to act independently and rebranded itself as NJZ, asking the Seoul court to block the act from pursuing separate or solo promotional endeavors.
The Seoul Central District Court’s decision comes two weeks after the first injunction hearing on March 7.
The legal dispute began last year following allegations that HYBE forced out NewJeans’ producer and mastermind, Min Hee-jin, who resigned last November after months of disputes and press campaigns from both sides centered around a breach of trust in business. The chart-topping girl group then demanded her reinstatement as ADOR’s CEO, but HYBE refused. The conflict escalated when the members publicly accused ADOR of deliberately sabotaging their careers.
In October, Vietnamese-Australian member Hanni also testified for South Korean lawmakers as part of an inquiry into workplace harassment.
NewJeans responds
NewJeans announced plans to challenge the court’s ruling by filing a legal objection and submitting additional evidence. “While we respect the court’s ruling, it is the result of inadequate consideration of the fact that the trust between the two parties has completely broken down,” the group said on its social media, citing Yonhap News Agency.
The girls reaffirmed their stance against returning to ADOR and expressed confidence that the truth will come to light.
Now operating under the name NJZ, the quintet has continued independent activities despite ADOR insisting their contract remains valid until 2029.
They will proceed with their sold-out concert in Hong Kong on March 22, emphasizing their commitment to fans and event organizers.
