NJZ (formerly NewJeans) made a bold statement on Friday, arriving at a Seoul court hearing in all-black outfits as they face off against their label, ADOR, in a heated contract dispute.
On March 7, the Seoul Central District Court held a hearing for an injunction filed by ADOR against NJZ members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. The injunction seeks to maintain ADOR’s status as the group’s agency and prevent NewJeans from signing advertising deals independently.
Members showed up to court in all-black outfits and presented evidence for ILLIT copying their choreography, classic hanbok pictorial, and musical concept. Previously, former CEO Min Hee Jin revealed that it was the main reason for the conflict with HYBE.
Today, NJZ’s side claimed,
“(HYBE) launched ILLIT, which imitated NewJeans, to damage NewJeans’ brand value and attempt to replace them.”
“NewJeans’ planning documents were copied. We even received a tip from an internal HYBE employee. Although NewJeans and ILLIT are three years apart, there’s an article stating that their planning documents are surprisingly similar. When comparing the planning documents of both sides, the structure, templates, literature, and content are excessively similar.”
NJZ Legal Representatives, March 7, 2025
NJZ’s legal team has raised concerns about similarities between their group’s concept and that of ILLIT. They pointed out that the hanbok pictorials of the two groups are nearly indistinguishable.
The team noted that fans were the first to notice the similarities. A comparison of the two groups teaser images, styling, and choreography also reveals striking similarities. They also highlighted that their choreography is similar to NewJeans’ debut song “Attention”.
The injunction aims to recognize ADOR as NewJeans’ management company under the terms of their exclusive contract. This recognition would remain in place until a verdict is reached in the lawsuit ADOR filed at the Seoul Central District Court on December 3 last year.
The injunction also seeks to prevent New Jeans members from independently signing advertising contracts. Furthermore, it aims to stop them from engaging in promotional activities without ADOR’s prior approval or consent.
NewJeans is currently embroiled in a contract dispute with ADOR. On November 28, 2024, the group held an emergency press conference, announcing their intention to terminate their exclusive contract with the label.
During the conference, NewJeans revealed plans to rebrand as ‘NJZ‘ and pursue independent activities. They also teased an upcoming single, slated for release at Complexcon in Hong Kong on November 23.
