NewJeans Faces Challenges in First Activities as NJZ

NewJeans has encountered difficulties in their initial activities as NJZ. On February 19, five major music organizations in South Korea, including the Korea Management Federation and the Korea Entertainment Producers Association, issued a statement calling for policy support to eradicate tampering in the K-pop industry. They claimed that the actions of former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin and NewJeans are causing significant harm to the industry and urged the government and National Assembly to establish anti-tampering legislation.

In response, NewJeans took a stand. A lengthy rebuttal was posted on accounts managed by the members' parents, asserting that HYBE and the organizations involved are engaging in misleading media play. They stated that their exclusive contract with HYBE has been terminated due to unfair treatment.

The group specifically claimed that HYBE's Chairman Bang Si-hyuk personally pressured U.S. contacts to cancel NJZ members' performances, as relayed by a representative from ComplexCon, who is assisting with the event preparations.

Ador countered this by stating, "We have never pressured the cancellation of NewJeans' Hong Kong performance. Chairman Bang has confirmed that he has had no contact regarding the Hong Kong concert."

Ador further explained that they requested the event organizers to use the official team name NewJeans, as previously requested by domestic media, and to conduct the performance through Ador based on the exclusive contract.

NewJeans maintains that their exclusive contract with Ador was terminated in November of last year and has declared 'NJZ' as their new team name. In response, Ador has filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract and has sought an injunction against the group's agency status and advertising contracts. They argue that the official team name is not NJZ but NewJeans, asserting that the exclusive contract remains valid. The first hearing related to the injunction is set for March, while the lawsuit regarding the exclusive contract will begin in April. If the court rules in favor of HYBE, NewJeans' independent activities may be jeopardized.