“Nameless” NewJeans Appears in Fashion Shoots and on “News Show”—How Far Will Their Independent Activities Go?
On December 24, anchor Kim Hyun-jung announced that NewJeans would appear in the Christmas special broadcast of CBS’s “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show” on December 25.
However, while introducing the guests, Kim Hyun-jung referred to the group not as “NewJeans” but as “five angels” and “a global girl group”, listing the members’ names—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein. Even “News Show”‘s official YouTube channel uploaded a notice about their appearance without mentioning the group name.
NewJeans is currently embroiled in a dispute with their agency ADOR regarding their exclusive contract. Regarding NewJeans’ appearance on “News Show”, ADOR stated, “The decision for the artists to appear on ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ was made independently without consulting the company. We were unaware of this appearance beforehand.”
NewJeans announced the termination of their exclusive contract with ADOR on November 28. At the time, the members stated, “The fault lies with HYBE and ADOR, so there is no reason for us to file a lawsuit or pay penalties.” In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court seeking to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract.
Since leaving ADOR, NewJeans has continued independent activities, avoiding the use of their group name and instead utilizing their real names. They recently opened a new communication channel under the name “jeanzforfree” and gained attention for a Vogue photo shoot directed by former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. The photos spread prominently featured their real names rather than the group name.
On December 18, ADOR expressed concerns regarding these independent activities, stating, “We hope the NewJeans members will continue engaging with fans through their official channels as before. Activities conducted through separate accounts may lead to legal issues, and we have conveyed our concerns to the artists and their legal representatives.”
The independent activities carried out by NewJeans members during the ongoing dispute have raised concerns within the industry. Organizations such as the Korea Management Federation, Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association and Korea Music Content Association have expressed continued apprehension.
As the conflict between NewJeans and ADOR remains unresolved, attention is focused on how these actions will influence the outcome in court.
