A South Korean court has ordered K-pop girl group NewJeans to halt their independent activities and return to working with label ADOR.
In an order on Friday, the Seoul Central District Court granted HYBE-owned ADOR’s request for an injunction stopping NewJeans – who have rebranded themselves NJZ – from carrying out commercial activities outside of their contract with ADOR.
NewJeans unilaterally declared last November that their contract with ADOR was null and void, alleging mistreatment and bullying at the hands of ADOR staff amid an ongoing conflict between the label and its former CEO and NewJeans manager Min Hee-jin.
ADOR rejected NewJeans’ declaration and insisted that its contract with NewJeans members is still “in full effect.” In December, the label went to court seeking to confirm the validity of its exclusive contracts with NewJeans members, and in January, ADOR asked the court for a preliminary injunction to prevent NewJeans from working outside ADOR.
The court granted that request on Friday, saying that there is “insufficient evidence to support the claims made by the NewJeans members,” per Korea JoongAng Daily.
In a statement emailed to MBW, ADOR said: “We express our sincere gratitude for the court’s judicious decision to grant the preliminary injunction. With our status as NewJeans’ exclusive agency now legally affirmed, we are fully committed to supporting the artists going forward.
“We will be fully present at ComplexCon this weekend to guarantee the performance is presented under the NewJeans name. We eagerly anticipate meeting with the artists for a heartfelt conversation at the earliest opportunity.
“We sincerely request your ongoing support and encouragement for NewJeans as they continue to grow together with ADOR.”
“With our status as NewJeans’ exclusive agency now legally affirmed, we are fully committed to supporting the artists going forward.”
ADOR
In a post on Instagram, NewJeans/NJZ said they plan to appeal the court’s decision.
“We at NJZ respect the court’s decision. However, we believe that the decision did not sufficiently take into account the fact that the trust of the members in ADOR was completely destroyed,” the group stated.
NewJeans suggested they lost the fight over the injunction because they weren’t given enough time to lay out their case.
“There are also many people who are unable to cooperate due to the pressure and retaliation of being involved in the lawsuit,” the group added.
They noted that the legal case over the validity of their contract with ADOR continues, and a hearing in the case is scheduled for April 3.
“Unlike the injunction procedure, the main lawsuit can more freely utilize the civil procedure law system to secure necessary evidence, so we expect that this will greatly strengthen the evidence supporting the members’ claims,” the group stated.
“We believe that the decision did not sufficiently take into account the fact that the trust of the members in ADOR was completely destroyed.”
NewJeans/NJZ
NewJeans’ severing of its relationship with ADOR sent shockwaves through the K-pop industry. In February, five trade groups involved with K-pop companies issued a statement warning that if NewJeans’ unilateral move to leave ADOR became precedent, it could severely damage K-pop.
They linked NewJeans’ activities to “tampering” – the practice of labels and managers attempting to lure artists away from their legally binding contracts.
“If tampering attempts succeed, Korea’s entertainment management industry will collapse,” the groups said.
“This issue extends beyond domestic disputes — foreign capital could step in and take over the K-pop industry entirely.”Music Business Worldwide
