NewJeans Continues to Highlight “Structural Issues in the K-POP Industry” Despite Losing Legal Case

NewJeans lost a court ruling in their dispute over their exclusive contract with agency ADOR, but they remain vocal about addressing structural problems within the K-POP industry. On the 21st, the Seoul Central District Court granted all of ADOR’s requests in a temporary injunction lawsuit filed to preserve ADOR’s status as an agency and prohibit NewJeans from entering into advertising contracts. The court determined that NewJeans lacked sufficient grounds to terminate their seven-year contract with ADOR and found that ADOR had fulfilled most of its obligations, including salary payments. As a result, NewJeans is now prohibited from using their new stage name “NJZ,” and independent activities without ADOR’s prior approval are also legally restricted. Hyein stated in an interview with BBC, “This struggle is necessary. It will be extremely difficult, but we will keep speaking out.” Hyein added, “We remained silent for a long time, and now we can finally express our thoughts, feelings, and the injustices we’ve experienced.” NewJeans officially announced their departure from ADOR in November, alleging workplace harassment and attempts to damage their careers. Although ADOR denied these claims, NewJeans decided to continue exposing fundamental issues in the K-POP industry. The structural problems they identified included agencies failing to treat employees and artists with care and companies viewing artists as products rather than human beings. Hanni mentioned, “We are looking for an agency that will help us communicate with others.” In an interview with Time magazine, NewJeans said, “We are disappointed by the court’s decision,” adding, “This is the reality in Korea right now,” and further stated, “It seems Korea wants to turn us into ‘revolutionaries.’” On the 23rd, NewJeans proceeded with their scheduled performance in Hong Kong, performing new songs and displaying the “NJZ” logo on their costumes to show their resolve to resist. At the end of the performance, they announced a pause in all activities, saying, “We decided to stop all activities for now out of respect for the court’s decision,” but this was a unilateral decision made without reaching an agreement with ADOR. ADOR expressed regret, saying, “We are very saddened by this,” but added, “We hope to meet with the artists soon to discuss the future.” The remaining lawsuit regarding the validity of their exclusive contract is scheduled for April 2nd, suggesting this legal battle will likely drag on for a long time.