The Court Rules in Favor of ADOR in NJZ Dispute
NewJeans it is.
If you’ve been following the ongoing turmoil between NewJeans, their parent company HYBE and their label ADOR‘s now ex-CEO, Min Hee-jin, then you’ll know the chart-topping group has faced a turbulent year.
It all started as a battle for creative control. Hee-jin, who founded ADOR in 2021 after working as HYBE’s Chief Brand Officer, clashed with the entertainment giant over the management and artistic direction of both the label and NewJeans. What seemed like an internal power struggle quickly escalated into a much bigger fight, over artistic freedom and workers’ rights. By November 2024, the girl band officially left ADOR but remained under HYBE, with Hee-jin still involved as their creative director.
The group then made a bold move and announced a brand-new name: NJZ. Speaking to CNN about the change, member Hanni said that the rebrand is one of the ways that the group is “turning this rough period of time into something more exciting.”
From her comments, it seemed as if the band was going to enter a new era, “Before, we had that ‘girl next door’ vibe, but now we’re going for something sharper and bolder. We love streetwear and gender-neutral styles and that will play a big role in our new look.”
That said, a court hearing was scheduled and we now have an update on the situation. The South Korean court sided with ADOR, who shared the following statement:
“Hello, this is ADOR.
Today (October 30 KST), the Korean court ruled in the lawsuit confirming the validity of the exclusive contract between ADOR and our artist NewJeans, affirming that the exclusive contract between both parties remains valid.
The court determined that ADOR did not violate any of its duties as a management agency, and that attempts to breach the exclusive contract by creating the appearance of a broken trust relationship should not be permitted. We express our deep gratitude for the court’s decision.”
The Seoul Central District Court officially ruled that the group’s contract with ADOR remains valid until 2029.
If you’re interested in more music news, read about Jennie’s teaser for her new album announcement.
