A court has sided with the label of girl group Ador, barring the quintet from planning commercial projects after they tried to sever ties. The group has vowed to appeal.
A South Korean court on Friday upheld an injunction against K-pop group NewJeans' attempt to sever ties with their record label Ador, barring the members from engaging in commercial activities without the label's consent.
In the latest twist in the long feud between the two sides, a panel of judges at the Seoul Central District Court on Friday upheld Adore's rights as the group's manager. The ruling could halt the group's plans to release new songs, stage their own shows and sign independent endorsement deals.
The five members of NewJeans announced their split from Ador last November, accusing the label of mistreatment, and have since renamed the group NJZ. In response, Ador filed a lawsuit to assert its contractual rights to the group.
NewJeans said it would appeal the court's ruling, arguing that the label continues to treat the group unfairly and unequally.
“We believe that the decision did not fully take into account the complete breakdown of trust that members of the club had in Ador,” NJZ said in a statement. “We did not have a sufficient opportunity to fully present the factual background to the court.”
Ador, which disputes the group's abuse claims, welcomed the court's decision, which it called “a confirmation of its status as the exclusive management agency for NewJeans members.”
“With NewJeans’ legally-established exclusive agency status, we are fully committed to supporting artists in the future,” the statement read. “We look forward to meeting with artists for a heartfelt conversation at the earliest opportunity.”
Ador and NewJeans have confirmed that the group will be performing at ComplexCon in Hong Kong this weekend.
NewJeans and Ador have been embroiled in a dramatic feud that has captivated their fans since August 2024. The dispute centers around Min Hee-jin, the girl group’s executive producer. Ador’s parent company, Hybe, replaced Ms. Min as Ador’s CEO last year. The members of NewJeans publicly demanded Ms. Min’s reinstatement. When Hybe refused, the group decided to leave Ador.
Hybe is also home to BTS, another global K-pop sensation.
Choe Sang-Hun is The Times's senior reporter in Seoul, covering South and North Korea. More about Choe Sang-Hun
For more information, see: NewJeans (musical group)
