“NewJeans, Wake Up and Respect the Court Ruling”: Bunnies Stage Protest Truck Over Ongoing Legal Battle With ADOR

The conflict surrounding K-pop group NewJeans and their agency ADOR has taken another dramatic turn, with fans stepping into the legal fray. On the morning of April 7, NewJeans’ fandom, Bunnies, dispatched a protest truck to HYBE’s Yongsan headquarters in Seoul, demanding the group comply with the court’s injunction and return to ADOR.

The truck’s LED screens displayed sharp messages that criticized the ongoing resistance and legal entanglements:

• “Respecting the members’ opinions? Supporting them down the wrong path isn’t respect, it’s enabling.”
• “A fandom that encourages lawbreaking is unusual. Return to normalcy by complying with the court’s decision.”
• “Can’t you see this lawsuit has no end? Waking up and stepping back is the real victory.”

This protest follows growing unrest among fans over NewJeans’ refusal to return to ADOR, despite a provisional court ruling in ADOR’s favor. The controversy intensified after a custody lawsuit involving the parents of minor member Hyein became public. Legal documents revealed a rift between her guardians, one parent opposing the termination of NewJeans’ contract with ADOR, the other filing a lawsuit to exclude them from legal decision-making rights.

The Bunnies’ message: “Which side is really bringing up family matters?,” is interpreted as direct criticism of the parental dispute, which has spilled into the group’s already complex legal battle. Another truck message challenged the emotional framing, “Opposing the lawsuit means losing ‘Bunny’ status and even parental rights? Since when does disagreement make family not family?”

Despite this, NewJeans and their parents’ union maintain a united front, claiming all five members agree they cannot return to ADOR. They called the family dispute a “private matter” and reaffirmed their collective stance.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Central District Court has described the ADOR, NewJeans case as “unusual,” noting the lawsuit isn’t centered around payment or contract breach, typical in artist-agency disputes, but rather a claim of “broken trust.” The court is now deliberating over whether this constitutes valid grounds to terminate their exclusive contract.

The next court session is set for June 5, with an injunction appeal hearing to follow on April 9, both at the Seoul Central District Court. As tensions rise, it’s clear that NewJeans’ legal war is far from over, and fans are no longer watching silently from the sidelines.