The legal battle between NJZ (formerly NewJeans) and ADOR has become more intense. Lawsuits were filed against the K-pop girl group last year when they terminated their contract with the HYBE subsidiary.
Last month, NewJeans revealed their new stage name “NJZ” and confirmed their first appearance after rebranding at ComplexCon Hong Kong this month. They later accused HYBE’s chairman of pressuring the concert organizers to cancel their performance.
The conflict began in April when an internal audit report revealed former CEO Min Hee Jin’s takeover attempt and plans to make ADOR independent. In this high-stakes dispute, NJZ sided with Min and wished to work with her in the future.
NewJeans and their parents have launched their separate social media accounts to communicate with fans and reveal their stance on the ongoing dispute.
NJZ’s Statement About ADOR Seeking Ban on Entertainment Activities
On March 6, NJZ’s parents announced through their separate social media account, stating,
“ADOR has expanded the scope of its preliminary injunction application as of February 11, 2025, requesting to ban not only advertisements but also all of NJZ’s music activities, including songwriting, composition, performance, and singing, as well as all secondary activities. This came immediately after we received news that Chairman Bang Si Hyuk had pressured Complex concert organizers, so we believe it was a retaliatory measure after their failed attempt to cancel the performance.
Until recently, ADOR continued to state its position on NJZ’s independent activities while hiding the fact that its injunction application aimed to ban all entertainment activities. This is in stark contrast to its initial application on January 6, which was widely reported.
While ADOR appears to be concerned about NJZ’s advertising activities and potential confusion among fans and advertisers, it is, in reality, asking the court to ban all of NJZ’s entertainment activities. This is an attempt to infringe upon NJZ’s freedom of occupation and avoid public criticism by not disclosing this information.
As music activities are at the core of NJZ’s being, restricting them is tantamount to denying the very existence of NJZ. It has become clear that ADOR’s injunction application was intended to block all of NJZ’s activities from the outset.”
NJZ’s Parents, March 6, 2025
ADOR’s Response
In response, ADOR denied the claims made by NJZ’s parents stating,
“ADOR has reluctantly expanded the scope of its injunction request due to NewJeans’s increased activities, including the release of new music and the announcement of large-scale overseas performances, while the court case to preserve agency status and block advertising contracts is still ongoing.
This expansion is not intended to restrict their activities but rather to emphasize that ADOR wants to “work together with NewJeans” and “maintain the contract” while continuing their entertainment activities.
As previously publicaly stated, ADOR has never pressured any concert organizers and the expansion of the injunction request is not a retaliatory measure.
ADOR intends to clarify numerous misunderstandings regarding the artist in tomorrow’s court hearing, seeking a judgment that ADOR is NewJeans’ agency, which many of the former members have been waiting for.”
ADOR, March 6, 2025
Meanwhile, ADOR asserts that its exclusive contracts with NewJeans members remain in effect until 2029. To protect its agency status and prevent advertising contract signings, the label has filed an injunction, with a hearing scheduled for March 7 at the Seoul Central District Court. Additionally, ADOR’s lawsuit to confirm the validity of its exclusive contract with NewJeans has its first oral argument set for April 3.