NewJeans Faces Controversy Over Tribute Ribbon Incident
On March 7, 2025, members of the girl group NewJeans (NJZ) exited the Seoul Central District Court after a hearing regarding a request for a temporary injunction against their agency, Ador. During the proceedings, allegations surfaced that HYBE, Ador's parent company, obstructed the members from wearing tribute ribbons following the tragic Jeju Air incident in December 2024.
According to legal documents submitted by the members' representatives, the group intended to wear the ribbons during their performance at the '66th Record Awards' in Japan on December 30, 2024, the day after the incident. However, an Ador official reportedly advised against it, claiming that wearing the ribbons would lead to an overwhelming influx of calls from Japanese viewers, potentially disrupting the broadcast.
Despite receiving confirmation from the Japanese broadcasting station that there would be no issues with wearing the ribbons, the members stated that HYBE failed to provide the ribbons for them. In a show of solidarity, NewJeans later posted a photo on their newly created 'jeanzforfree' account, wearing black tribute ribbons with the caption, "In memory of those lost."
Interestingly, other girl groups under HYBE, such as ILY:1 and LE SSERAFIM, wore tribute ribbons during the same event, leading NewJeans' representatives to express concerns about the potential damage to their reputation and the perceived differential treatment by HYBE and Ador. They argued that had NewJeans not worn the ribbons, public backlash could have intensified, highlighting the ongoing issues within the agency's treatment of the group.
