South Korean girl group NewJeans has announced that they will go to court under the new name NJZ. Thus they are marking the beginning of a new chapter in their long legal battle against their former management label Ador-a subsidiary of K-pop powerhouse HYBE. The viral hits and trend-setting fashion girls declared this move through an Instagram post and confirmed that they were going ahead with their independent lifestyle.
NJZ confirmed their participation in ComplexCon Hong Kong from March 21 to 23, where they will premiere a new song on the event’s final day. NJZ artists will do their solo acts during the festival, showing their first major public appearance.
Split with Ador
Tension are clear between NewJeans and Ador. On November 28, 2023, the group officially closed their contracts with the label, citing breaches of agreement. NJZ stated they had completed all major obligations under their previous contract, with only advertisement-related matters remaining.
However, NJZ member Danielle admitted that she is worried about Ador’s continued interference, which she described as “quite frightening.”
Co- member Hanni, however, calmed down the fans by saying, “Honestly, we have done nothing wrong, so we’re not afraid. We’re excited to see what the future holds.”
The Legal Battle
Ador, to this date, has countered by filing two injunctions against the South Korean courts to ascertain that the group’s contracts were legally valid and were not binding any independent advertisement contract with NJZ. The contracts are still in effect and are set to expire in 2029, according to label reports.
HYBE’s financial situation has been significantly impacted by the fallout from this scandal. HYBE’s stock fell 6.97% after NJZ announced their breakup, wiping out almost $423 million in market value.
It also reveals an internal power play within HYBE, especially between the agency and former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin, who first created NewJeans but eventually had a disagreement with HYBE over the management of the group. Even after all the legal hurdles, NJZ is still optimistic about their future.
