South Korean Court Rules Against K-pop Group NewJeans in Dispute with Ador

CNN
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A court in South Korea has decided in favor of the record label Ador, ruling that K-pop group NewJeans is temporarily barred from performing independent musical or commercial activities due to a legal dispute.

During a hearing, the Seoul Central District Court indicated that NewJeans’ efforts to change their name and separate from Ador could harm the label’s reputation, as noted in court filings.

NewJeans, which recently revealed their intention to rebrand as NJZ, has continuously claimed that their contract with Ador is invalid, citing allegations of mistreatment, including manipulation and workplace harassment.

Ador has contested these claims, maintaining that NewJeans is still under contract, prohibiting the members from engaging in entertainment activities without the label’s consent. In a statement to CNN, Ador described most of NewJeans’ grievances as stemming from misunderstandings.

This ongoing legal struggle began last November when NewJeans held an emotional press conference announcing their termination of the contract with Ador. Recently, they declared their name change to NJZ, with member Pham Ngoc Han (Hanni) commenting that this change aimed to transform a challenging period into a more exciting one.

The court’s ruling comes just as NewJeans was set to headline the ComplexCon festival in Hong Kong, where they planned to perform as NJZ. Despite the legal ruling, the band confirmed they would proceed with the performance to avoid disrupting the audience’s anticipation. Ador expressed conditional support for their participation, provided the performance remained under the NewJeans name, affirming their commitment to the group moving forward.