NJZ - © Yonhap News 2025.3.7
NJZ (formerly NewJeans) appeared in court for the hearing regarding the injunction filed by its agency, ADOR, to halt its activities.
The dispute between NJZ and ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE, has taken a new turn following the March 7th hearing at the Seoul court. While the group has been fighting for its independence since November 2024, citing dissatisfaction with its management, ADOR and HYBE remain firm in their stance.
On November 29th, 2024, NewJeans announced the termination of its contract with ADOR, alleging a breach of commitments. Since then, the members have rebranded as NJZ and started operating independently. In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit in January seeking to ban these activities.
ADOR argues that NewJeans is its sole act and that it has invested 21 billion KRW (approximately 14 million euros) in the group’s success. The agency also dismissed allegations of harassment and plagiarism involving another HYBE group as “pure speculation“, insisting there was no valid reason for contract termination.
NJZ, on the other hand, claims that ADOR failed to protect them, justifying its departure. The group emphasizes that artists should work in a safe and creative environment and accuse HYBE’s chairman, Bang Si-hyuk, of exerting excessive control over its labels, limiting their autonomy to act in artists’ best interests.
Dressed in black, NJZ attended the two-hour hearing, observing the legal arguments unfold. ADOR’s new CEO, Kim Joo-young, was also present. The session unveiled new elements that further escalated tensions, hinting at a prolonged legal battle.
During the hearing, members of NJZ voiced its grievances. HARIN expressed frustration, accusing ADOR of allowing its careers to be sabotaged and criticizing the dismissal of Min Hee-jin, its former CEO and key supporter. DANIELLE, visibly emotional, stated that while NJZ consists of five members on stage, it considers Min Hee-jin its “sixth member” and wants to continue working with her. HYEIN condemned ADOR for treating the group as mere products rather than considering its well-being.
One of NJZ’s key arguments involved an incident in December following the tragic crash of a Jeju Air flight. The group claims ADOR and HYBE attempted to prevent them from wearing black memorial ribbons during a Japanese TV broadcast. Allegedly, ADOR representatives warned that wearing the ribbons could trigger an influx of complaints from Japanese viewers, disrupting the program. However, NJZ states that the broadcasting station had directly approved its request, leading HANNI to create and wear a ribbon herself.
HYBE swiftly refuted the allegation, calling it “misinformation” and asserting that the agency had no reason to oppose such a commemorative gesture.
Notably, all other artists participating in the broadcast wore black ribbons.
Another major point of contention is what has now been labeled the “Ignore her” incident (“무시해” in korean). This dates back to October when HANNI was summoned before the South Korean National Assembly to testify about alleged harassment by staff members of ILLIT, another HYBE group.
According to NJZ, an ILLIT manager instructed the group members to ignore HANNI backstage at an event. In response, ADOR released CCTV footage showing ILLIT members bowing respectfully as they passed HANNI and DANIELLE. However, the footage contained no audio, leaving the alleged remark unverified.
Further controversy arose when ADOR disclosed private messages between HANNI and former CEO Min Hee-jin. In the exchange, HANNI downplayed the incident:
“I heard a manager say something like ‘don’t talk to them,’ but I don’t remember the exact words. It wasn’t a big deal.”
Min Hee-jin repeatedly asked whether ILLIT had deliberately ignored her, to which HANNI responded:
“I’m not really sure… It just makes me laugh.”
Following this revelation, HANNI addressed the situation on NJZ’s official social media:
“I wrote those messages, so how can you selectively use them to fit your narrative? While you claim to protect us, you publicly attack us. Please stop harassing me, ADOR and HYBE.”
She added:
“I have a lot to say, but I don’t want to escalate things further. However, if you continue spreading lies about us, I won’t stay silent.”
NJZ has also accused HYBE of prioritizing LE SSERAFIM, an other group of the label, over its career. A key example cited is a dispute over a luxury brand ambassadorship.
According to NJZ, HYEIN was initially chosen to represent a major fashion house. However, soon after, LE SSERAFIM was also selected for the same brand. When NJZ inquired about the decision, it claims it was told that HYBE had made the request without consulting it.
In response, Source Music, LE SSERAFIM’s label, denied the accusations, clarifying that member SAKURA had signed a contract with the brand in April 2022, long before HYEIN’s opportunity arose.
What’s next?
The court is set to rule on the injunction request by March 14th. If ADOR’s request is granted, NJZ’s upcoming activities, including its March 23th concert in Hong Kong and its next single release, could be at risk. Conversely, if the injunction is denied, NJZ may continue its independent activities, but the legal battle is far from over, with a full trial expected to begin in April.
Journalist: Leo
Translator: Leo
Sources: KSTATION TV, Yonhap News, The Daily Sports Korea, NJZ SNS, Ador
