Korean girl group NJZ, formerly known as *NewJeans*, faced off in court against their former record label, ADOR. The label filed an injunction request in January following the group’s press conference on November 28, 2024, where they spoke out against the agency’s alleged mistreatment and pledged to pursue new ventures independently.
The Seoul Central District Court held the first hearing for their case on March 7. During the proceedings, both sides restated their previous claims—NJZ accused ADOR and HYBE of manipulation and discrimination, while the agency argued that the group unlawfully terminated their exclusive contracts and attempted to sign independent deals without approval.
Both sides were eventually prompted to give their final statements after both parties and their representatives gave out their arguments. ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young made a seemingly heartfelt appeal to NJZ, voicing, “There is only one reason I filed this injunction: to continue working with NewJeans. Although the current situation is difficult, the staff members of ADOR have always dedicated themselves to NewJeans, and we are waiting for them to return.”
While this sentiment appeared to be a call for the NJZ members to consider the second chance, the girl group was reported to have looked surprised and amused and was seen holding back their laughter. This drew some flak as social media users felt it was jarring and even tone-deaf, noting how this case had already affected other members from the agency, namely, junior group ILLIT and senior group LE SSERAFIM.
NJZ, however, stayed true to their stance as they expressed strong opposition, citing, “While ADOR publicly claims to be concerned about advertising contracts and potential confusion, the reality is they are seeking to block us from working entirely.” They further argued that the injunction case infringes their rights, saying, “Music is the essence of NJZ. Denying us the ability to create and perform is equivalent to denying our very existence.”
To this, ADOR responded by asserting that the injunction “is not an attempt to suppress their activities,” clarifying that “we only seek for NJZ to continue working while respecting the terms of the contract.”
The court’s final decision on the injunction is still pending, but further appearances from both parties are scheduled for April 3, 2025 ,at the Seoul Central District Court.
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