A South Korean court has ruled against popular K-pop girl group NewJeans, which aimed to sever ties with their record label Ador and pursue independent activities under their new name.
The court granted Ador’s request for an injunction to re-establish themselves as NewJeans’s management agency and to prevent the five-member girl group from carrying out any kind of independent activity – making music, performing, or signing advertising deals.
The Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 50 allowed Ador to maintain their position as the official agency of NewJeans, stating that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the agency had breached contractual obligations with the group.
In January 2025, when the agency filed the injunction, they claimed that the girl group had been pursuing advertisers to sign independent brand deals despite the ongoing contract dispute.
The K-pop group, composed of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, have been embroiled in a feud with their agency since last year, following a dispute between Min Hee Jin, the band’s former creative director and Ador’s ex-CEO, and Ador’s parent company Hybe.
The differences escalated after the group held a press conference where they unilaterally declared their exclusive contract with Ador invalid, accusing the agency of mistreatment and bullying.
Ador denied the band’s accusations and maintained that they had “not violated the terms of the agreement” arguing that a “unilateral claim of a breach of trust does not constitute valid grounds for terminating the contract”.
Ador maintained that the contract, set to expire in 2027, “remains in full effect”.
Shortly after the court’s order, NewJeans posted a statement on their social media, saying that while the group respected the court’s ruling, it would take the requisite legal action against it.
“Today, the court rendered a decision regarding the injunction. NJZ respects the court’s ruling. However, we believe that the decision did not fully take into account the complete breakdown of trust the members have experienced toward Ador,” the statement began.
“We plan to challenge today’s decision through the objection procedure, during which we will raise additional legal issues and submit further supporting evidence. Above all, until the point the exclusive contracts were terminated, we had diligently fulfilled out obligations without any wrongdoing.
“In contrast, Ador and Hybe, behind the scenes, continued to treat us unfairly and unequally, ultimately destroying the relationship of trust. It is only a matter of time before the truth becomes clear.”
NewJeans was scheduled to perform at ComplexCon Hong Kong this Sunday, where they were expected to release a new song under their new name; the group announced they will continue with the performance under Ador’s banner.
“Though we are going through a very difficult time, we remain calm and strong, always thinking of our fans who continue to support NJZ and the Bunnies,” a statement posted on the group’s social media said. Bunnies refers to the group’s official fandom.
“As we have stated before, regardless of any financial matters, we can no longer remain with a management that has disrespected our identities and undermined our achievements. The reason we are pursuing this legal action is to protect our dignity and rights.
“Meanwhile, after much deliberation, we have decided to participate in the upcoming ComplexCon scheduled for March 23. This decision was made out of respect for our fans and all stakeholders involved, in order to prevent unnecessary disruption or harm to those who have been looking forward to the performance.”
After the court’s judgement, Ador released a statement stating they would be “fully present” in Hong Kong and are “ fully committed” to NewJeans.
”We express our sincere gratitude for the court’s judicious decision to grant the preliminary injunction. With our status as NewJeans’s exclusive agency now legally affirmed, we are fully committed to supporting the artists going forward.
“We will be fully present at ComplexCon this weekend to guarantee the performance is presented under the NewJeans name. We eagerly anticipate meeting with the artists for a heartfelt conversation at the earliest opportunity.
“We sincerely request your ongoing support and encouragement for NewJeans as they continue to grow together with Ador.”
Formed in 2022, NewJeans’s fresh 90s and early aughts aesthetic and sound made them popular not just in Korea, but internationally.
Their debut single “Attention” catapulted them to near-instant success, and sophomore EP Get Up debuted on the Billboard 200 at No 1 in 2023, pushing out the Barbie soundtrack.
In 2023, the group not only became the fastest K-pop act to reach one billion streams on Spotify but also entered the Billboard Hot 100 five times with the singles “Super Shy”, “OMG”, “ETA”, “Ditto”, and “Cool With You”.
