NewJeans Members Claim Agency Adore is Blocking Their Activities

Members of the K-pop group NewJeans, now operating under the name NJZ, have accused their agency, Adore, of attempting to obstruct their activities. On March 6, they released a statement via the NJZ PR account, asserting that they had terminated their exclusive contract with Adore on November 29, 2024, due to the agency's failure to fulfill its contractual obligations. They emphasized that Adore no longer has the authority to manage or interfere with their activities.

Despite this, the members claimed that on January 6, 2025, Adore filed a request for a temporary injunction, seeking to be recognized as NJZ's management agency. While Adore initially appeared to focus solely on advertising activities, the members pointed out that the request included demands to recognize their management status, which they interpreted as an attempt to restrict all of NJZ's entertainment activities.

The members further alleged that Adore expanded the scope of their injunction request on February 11, 2025, to include a ban on all music-related activities, such as songwriting, composing, performing, and singing. They speculated that this move was retaliatory, occurring shortly after they received news that Bang Si-hyuk had pressured concert organizers regarding their performance.

The NJZ members criticized Adore for publicly stating their support for NJZ's independent activities while concealing the fact that the injunction aimed to prohibit all entertainment activities. They argued that this was an infringement on their professional freedom and an attempt to avoid public backlash.

They reiterated that their core identity is rooted in music, and limiting this would undermine their existence as artists. The members concluded by stating that the various obstructive actions, including the injunction, are attempts to fundamentally halt their careers as artists and are a form of unilateral harassment aimed at suppressing their legitimate efforts to continue their activities after the lawful termination of their contract.

The NJZ members, who have claimed that their contract with Adore ended in November 2024, are currently preparing for independent activities, including a performance at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong from March 21 to 23, where they plan to showcase new songs. Meanwhile, Adore maintains that the contract is still valid and has initiated a lawsuit to confirm this.

The Seoul Central District Court is set to hold a hearing on the injunction request on March 7 and the first hearing for the contract validity lawsuit on April 3.