NewJeans Announces Suspension of Activities After Losing Court Case...Pointing Out Structural Issues in K-Pop Industry

K-pop group NewJeans has decided to halt all its activities following a court loss in a contract dispute with its agency, ADOR. On the 23rd, after performing their new song “Fit Stop” at the ComplexCon festival in Hong Kong, the group announced, “We have decided to pause all activities temporarily to respect the court’s decision.” On the 21st, the Seoul Central District Court granted ADOR’s emergency request to preserve its status as the group’s management company and to prohibit the members from signing any advertising contracts. The court ruled that there was no reason for NewJeans to terminate their contract with ADOR, stating that ADOR had “fulfilled most of its obligations.” As a result, NewJeans is no longer allowed to use the new stage name “NJZ” and cannot engage in any commercial activities without ADOR’s prior approval. Last November, NewJeans requested to end their contract with ADOR, citing reasons such as “indifferent treatment of employees and artists,” “intentional cutting off communication,” and “harassment in the workplace.” ADOR denied all these allegations and maintained that their seven-year contract, set to expire in 2029, remains valid. Shortly after the court ruling, NewJeans said in an interview with BBC that it required “a great deal of courage” to make this decision. Member Hyein stated, “This fight is necessary. It will be very difficult and tough, but we will keep speaking out.” Member Haerin added, “We’ve endured for a long time, and now we can finally speak about what we think, what we feel, and the injustices we’ve experienced.” NewJeans also expressed its determination to win the upcoming lawsuit confirming the validity of their exclusive contract, scheduled for the 2nd of next month, by presenting even stronger evidence. In an interview with Time magazine, NewJeans said, “We didn’t expect the problems in the K-Pop industry to change overnight,” but pointed out that the core issue is “management companies failing to treat employees and artists with care.” They emphasized that the fundamental problem lies in companies viewing artists as products rather than human beings. The announcement of suspending activities at the Hong Kong stage was made without reaching any agreement with ADOR. After NewJeans’ announcement, ADOR expressed disappointment over the group’s decision to perform under a different name despite the court ruling and to unilaterally suspend activities, adding that it hopes to meet with the artists soon to discuss their future. ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE, claimed that its contract with NewJeans remains valid until July 2029 and that most of NewJeans’ claims stem from misunderstandings. Although NewJeans clearly stated its disappointment with the court’s decision, it also reiterated its commitment to never giving up.