NewJeans Members Attend Court Hearing Under New Name NJZ
The five members of NewJeans, now performing under the name NJZ, made a notable appearance in court to participate in a hearing regarding a preliminary injunction filed by their agency, Ador. The Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 50, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Sang-hoon, held the hearing on March 7, 2025, concerning Ador's request to prevent the members from engaging in independent activities and signing advertising contracts.
Although attendance at the hearing was not mandatory, the members chose to be present in person. The hearing serves as a procedure to gather testimonies from parties involved, including stakeholders and witnesses, prior to the court's decision on the injunction.
During the proceedings, Ador argued that the reasons cited for the termination of the exclusive contract, which included claims that HYBE, the parent company, harbors animosity towards NewJeans, are unfounded. They contended that it is illogical for a profit-driven private company to undermine its primary source of revenue and accused NewJeans of accumulating breaches of contract.
In response, the members asserted that the core issue lies in the discrimination and exclusion they faced from both HYBE and Ador, who allegedly sought to replace and discard them for another group. They claimed that instead of acknowledging their grievances, Ador is attempting to bind them in a manner akin to slavery, stifling their careers.
Previously, the five members announced their independent activities in November 2024 after their contracts with Ador were terminated due to alleged breaches. Following this, Ador filed a lawsuit in December 2024 to confirm the validity of the exclusive contracts and sought an injunction in January 2025 to prevent the members from independently signing advertising contracts.
In February 2025, the members changed their activity name to NJZ and announced upcoming performances in Hong Kong scheduled for March 21-23. On February 11, Ador expanded its injunction request to include a ban on all music-related activities of NewJeans, including songwriting, composing, and singing.
