NewJeans and Ador Engage in Legal Battle Over Contract Dispute

Tensions escalated between the K-pop group NewJeans and their former agency Ador just a day before their court hearing. On January 6, Ador filed for a preliminary injunction at the Seoul District Court to prevent NewJeans from entering into contracts with other agencies and advertisers. This request was later expanded on February 11 to include a ban on all music and related activities.

On March 6, NewJeans' parents took to the NJZ account to assert that Ador's ultimate goal is to completely block NJZ's activities. They argued that since the exclusive contract was terminated due to Ador's breach on November 29 of last year, Ador has no authority to manage or interfere with NewJeans' activities. They labeled Ador's request for a ban on advertising, music, and other activities as a retaliatory measure.

NewJeans representatives stated, "This situation arose immediately after we received news that Bang Si-hyuk had pressured the organizers of the Complex concert. We suspect that the decision to request a ban was made as a form of retaliation after attempts to cancel the concert were thwarted. The essence of NJZ is music, and limiting that denies our existence. Ultimately, the injunction was filed to block all NJZ activities from the start."

They also claimed that HYBE has made it clear they do not intend to allow NJZ to continue their activities long-term and have attempted to undermine their value through disparaging remarks. They stated that even after the contract termination, they have faced ongoing interference and harassment regarding advertising and visa issues, and they plan to confirm the legality of the contract termination during the trial.

In response, Ador stated that the expansion of their injunction request was necessary due to NewJeans' recent announcements of new music and major overseas performances, asserting that their intention is not to restrict activities but to encourage collaboration under the existing contract. They emphasized that they have never pressured concert organizers and that the expansion of their request is not retaliatory.

Since last year, NewJeans has begun to operate independently, changing their name to NJZ and announcing the release of their debut song at the upcoming Complex Live concert in Hong Kong in March.

Ador has filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of their contract with NewJeans, which they claim is effective until 2029, and has also submitted a request for a preliminary injunction against contract violations and advertising agreements. The hearing for this injunction is scheduled for the morning of March 7 at the Seoul Central District Court, with the first hearing for the contract validity lawsuit set for April 3.