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 former 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.
Last month, the group 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 for this month and we now have an update on the situation. The South Korean court sided with ADOR, granting an injunction to block any independent activities under the NJZ name. In their official statement, ADOR expressed their gratitude: “We sincerely thank the court for its fair decision to grant the preliminary injunction. With our status as NewJeans’ exclusive agency now legally confirmed, we are fully committed to supporting the artists moving forward.”
If you’re interested in more music news, read about Jennie’s teaser for her new album announcement.
