In a major legal ruling, the Seoul Central District Court has granted an injunction requested by Adore, putting a stop to the independent activities of the popular K-pop group NewJeans (NJZ). This decision complicates the members’ efforts to start anew after announcing their departure from Adore.
On March 21, the court approved Adore’s injunction request, originally filed in January against the five NewJeans members. The aim of this request was to protect Adore’s status as the group’s agency and to prevent the members from entering into advertising contracts or pursuing other independent activities.
The court noted that while artists can terminate an exclusive contract if trust is broken, the burden of proof lies with the party claiming the contract’s dissolution. Additionally, the court emphasized that the dismissal of Adore’s former CEO, Min Hee-jin, does not automatically indicate that the company lacks the ability or intention to support NewJeans.
Adore had previously held an emergency press conference on November 28, expressing concern over members who announced their contract termination and began seeking independent advertising deals. In their January filing, Adore expressed regret, stating, “We believe these independent activities could constitute a serious breach of contract.”
In response, the NewJeans members issued a statement expressing their desire to resolve any remaining commitments amicably. They voiced frustration with Adore and its parent company, HYBE, for actions they consider harmful. They stated, “We intend to clarify the wrongdoings of Adore and HYBE through legal means and fight in court to reveal the truth.”
As the members’ independent activities began to take shape, Adore expanded its request to prohibit all entertainment activities of NewJeans, including songwriting and performances.
During a contentious hearing on March 7, both sides presented strong arguments. The members claimed that Adore and HYBE were trying to replace them with another group, which justified their decision to terminate their contracts. Adore countered that no company would undermine a group it had heavily invested in.
With the court siding against the members’ independent activities, the first hearing for Adore’s lawsuit regarding the validity of the exclusive contract is scheduled for April 3. This ruling comes just days before NewJeans is set to perform at ComplexCon in Hong Kong on March 23 and release a new song, raising questions about their future plans.
The members had previously announced in a live broadcast that their new song, which is seen as a debut track, will be released on March 23. They also filed for trademark rights using NJZ on March 6 and are currently awaiting approval.
