The ongoing legal conflict between NewJeans and their agency ADOR continues to escalate, with a private court hearing scheduled today (April 9) to review the girl group’s objection to an injunction that bars them from conducting independent entertainment activities.
The Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 50, led by Chief Judge Kim Sang-hoon, held the hearing behind closed doors. The session focused on the objection filed by the five NewJeans members, challenging a March 21 injunction that prohibits them from pursuing entertainment or advertising contracts without ADOR’s involvement.
It is reported that the interrogation that day was conducted in private at the request of NewJeans and ended after about 10 minutes. Following the interrogation, ADOR’s lawyer left the court and briefly replied, “There has been no particular change since the injunction decision.”
Meanwhile, the legal representatives of NewJeans passed the press without saying anything. It was also reported that the members did not personally attend the hearing.
On March 21, the court sided with ADOR, issuing a ruling to preserve ADOR’s status as the group’s managing agency. The injunction explicitly forbade NewJeans from signing independent endorsement deals or appearing in media without prior approval, reinforcing the binding nature of their exclusive contract with the agency.
Immediately following the court’s decision, NewJeans filed a formal objection on the same day, stating that the ruling “failed to sufficiently reflect the complete breakdown of trust between the members and ADOR.”
Two days later, on March 23, during a live performance in Hong Kong, the group declared a suspension of their activities. They also abandoned their temporary group name “NJZ”, adopting the acronym “MHDHH” based on their initials, and deleted all independent social media accounts, further emphasizing their separation from ADOR.
Tensions remain high between both parties. During the April 3 hearing for a separate lawsuit filed by ADOR seeking confirmation of the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contracts, the agency expressed hope for a settlement. However, the group responded firmly, “This is not a situation where we can consider such things,” signaling their current unwillingness to negotiate.
As today’s hearing unfolds behind closed doors, all eyes are on the court’s next move and whether it will shift the trajectory of the dispute. The outcome could significantly impact NewJeans’ ability to operate independently—and perhaps even shape the future legal boundaries between idols and their agencies.