Court rules against NJZ in contract dispute with ADOR
What's the story
In a shocking turn of events, a South Korean court has ruled against popular K-pop group NewJeans, now rebranded as NJZ.
The court has ordered the group to stop independent activities outside of their management company, ADOR.
This comes after NewJeans's November 2024 announcement regarding the termination of their exclusive contract with ADOR over unresolved issues.
Contract validity
Court's ruling on NewJeans's contract with ADOR
The Seoul Central District Court sided with ADOR, allowing their injunction plea against NJZ.
The ruling temporarily prohibited the girl group from securing individual advertisement deals and prevented them from entertainment activities without ADOR's approval.
According to reports, the court named ADOR the temporary management company for NJZ, saying, "The members of NewJeans shall not engage in entertainment activities on their own or through a third party other than ADOR and without ADOR's prior approval and consent."
Contract dispute
Court found no breach of contract by ADOR
The court, however, found no evidence that ADOR broke the terms of the exclusive agreement with NJZ.
It said, "It's difficult to conclude that there was a gap in the production of NewJeans immediately after the dismissal of Min Hee-jin, or that the company was unable to fulfill its duties."
The court acknowledged a dispute between ADOR and Dolphin Kidnapping Group, a music video production company, though it clarified that these actions didn't constitute a serious breach of contract.
Evidence insufficient
NJZ failed to prove mistreatment claims, court ruled
The court ruled that NJZ did not provide enough evidence to support their claims of mistreatment by ADOR.
The group's legal representatives alleged that HYBE, ADOR's parent company, neglected to provide equal support compared to other affiliated artists.
However, the court stated, "It is difficult to conclude that ADOR violated a key obligation under the exclusive contract or that the trust between the parties has broken down to an irreparable extent."
New plans
NJZ's rebranding and future plans disregard contract
In February 2025, the K-pop quintet—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—rebranded from NewJeans to NJZ. They even applied to get product production trademarked under their new moniker.
Earlier, they said the company ignored their repeated complaints, so they ended their contract at midnight on November 29, 2024.
In response, ADOR sued in December 2024, claiming the contract was still valid.