The legal dispute between the K-pop girl group NewJeans (NJZ) and their agency, ADOR, has escalated in court.
On March 7, the Seoul Central District Court held a hearing for ADOR’s injunction request against NewJeans members (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein), aiming to maintain ADOR’s management rights and prevent the members from signing independent advertising contracts.
NewJeans has been in conflict with ADOR over their exclusive contract. On November 28, 2023, the group held an emergency press conference, announcing that their contract with ADOR would end at midnight. They also later revealed their new group name, NJZ, and planned an independent comeback at ComplexCon in Hong Kong on March 23. However, ADOR insists that their contract remains valid until July 31, 2029, and filed a lawsuit in December 2023 to confirm this, along with an injunction in January 2024 to secure their managerial authority.
Below is the summary of the court session between the 2 parties:
ADOR Argument
Additionally, ADOR argued that NewJeans was heavily promoted through HYBE’s resources, including featuring in BTS’s music videos before their debut and collaborating on dance challenges with HYBE artists. The group was initially marketed as “BTS’s little sister” and later as “the next BTS” or even “surpassing BTS” at the request of ADOR’s CEO, Min Hee-jin. ADOR contended that the members’ claims of unfair treatment were unfounded, as they had received substantial financial settlements, with each member earning approximately 5 billion KRW (approx 3.4 million USD).
Moreover ADOR dismissed NewJeans’ reasons for terminating their contract, stating that the company fulfilled its obligations and insisting that no rational company would sabotage a group in which they had invested heavily. They also addressed the controversy involving Hanni and the girl group ILLIT’s manager, denying claims that Hanni was ignored. ADOR presented a video showing ILLIT members bowing to Hanni and chat records suggesting that Min Hee-jin exaggerated the situation.
ADOR reassured that if NewJeans returned, all misunderstandings would be resolved, promising full support for their careers. They emphasized that NewJeans was ADOR’s only artist and that the company’s success depended on them. In addition, ADOR’s CEO begged NewJeans to return, insisting that the company’s only goal was to work with them. She highlighted how dedicated ADOR’s staff had been, citing an employee who had spent years editing NewJeans’ videos with care.
NewJeans’ Counter
On the other hand, NewJeans’ legal team criticized HYBE and ADOR for their handling of the group, listing multiple grievances, including:
- HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s alleged face blindness
- The alleged abandonment of NewJeans in favor of restructuring
- Plagiarism controversies involving ILLIT
- Media manipulation before NewJeans’ comeback
- The mistreatment of Hanni by ILLIT’s manager
- The unauthorized release of videos and photos by HYBE and Source Music
- The targeting of Min Hee-jin through baseless allegations
- The breakdown of relationships with key collaborators.
NewJeans questioned why they were the only group within HYBE to experience such treatment and accused ADOR of failing to protect them from these issues, and even accused HYBE of trying to damage the group’s reputation using the Jeju Air tragedy.
During her final statement, Hyein read an emotional letter, highlighting how ADOR had changed since HYBE’s influence grew. She expressed disappointment that the company, once a supportive environment under Min Hee-jin, had become indifferent to their concerns. She described ADOR’s new management as prioritizing HYBE’s interests over the members’ well-being, suppressing their voices, and urging them to endure unfair treatment.
Danielle also made a tearful statement, saying that leaving ADOR made her realize how difficult their situation had been. She lamented that trusted staff members, including their manager, producer, and stylist, were no longer with the company, making it impossible for them to return. She emphasized that she did not want to spend the next five years under ADOR’s management, reiterating her firm decision to leave.
Conclusion
After hearing both sides, the court announced that the hearing would be concluded in a week and requested additional evidence by March 14 before making a final decision.