Recently, the parents of the group NewJeans, which declared a change of its team name to NJZ, expressed their position regarding the legal battle with its agency Ador. They reiterated that Ador had not fulfilled its obligations under the exclusive contract, and thus no longer has the authority to manage or interfere with their activities. They also revealed that there were indications of retaliatory measures trying to block all activities of NewJeans by Ador and its parent company HYBE.
On the morning of the 6th, the parents of NewJeans stated through their official position expressing account that, "Last Friday, we regrettably convey our stance to prevent misunderstandings regarding Ador's additional announcement and the injunction scheduled for this week," and added, "We notified the termination of the exclusive contract as of Nov. 29, 2024, because Ador did not fulfill its obligations under the exclusive contract. Thus, we inform you that Ador no longer has the authority to manage or interfere with our activities."
The parents particularly pointed out that Ador's injunction application in January was an attempt to limit not only the members' advertising activities but all entertainment activities. They explained, "At the time, Ador seemed to claim that only advertising activities were an issue, but the application included a demand to 'acknowledge the management company's status.'"
They continued, "This is an attempt to restrict not just advertising but all entertainment activities of NJZ, indicating that Ador's ultimate goal is to completely block NJZ's activities," and criticized, "Moreover, Ador expanded the purpose of the injunction application on Feb. 11, 2025, requesting that not only advertising but all music activities of NJZ, including songwriting, composition, performance, and singing, be prohibited, along with all other ancillary activities."
They noted, "This occurred immediately after news that Chairman Bang Si-hyuk applied pressure to the Complex Concert officials was conveyed, and it is presumed that the attempt to cancel the performance was countered by this retaliatory decision," adding, "Until just a few days ago, Ador continuously stated its position on NJZ's independent activities, yet it did not disclose that Ador's injunction application was aimed at banning all entertainment activities."
They asserted, "This is an attempt to infringe upon NJZ's freedom to work and appears to be an intention to avoid public condemnation by not openly disclosing it," emphasizing, "The essence of NJZ is its music activities, and restricting this denies NJZ's intrinsic value. Ultimately, Ador filed for an injunction from the beginning to block all of NJZ's activities."
They also lamented that interference and harassment from Ador towards NewJeans members have continued even after the notification of the exclusive contract termination. They shared, "We have raised objections and protested against Ador many times, but rather than protecting us during our time as its artists, Ador has only shown behaviors of siding with HYBE or other labels' positions, or treating our words as false," and added, "Most importantly, none of our expected major activities for 2024 has been executed, causing enormous damage, and we are facing ongoing interference and harassment regarding advertising arrangements and visa issues even after the termination of the exclusive contract."
They further emphasized that the notification of the termination of the members' exclusive contracts is a typical legal procedure and not an unfair act. They stated, "It is false to raise voices as if our independent activities after the termination notice are somehow illegal or unjust, and it is absurd to claim that only the artist side must waive the legally guaranteed procedures and effects," and added, "We plan to diligently engage in the injunction and upcoming main lawsuit and seek to reconfirm the legality of the termination during the trial process."
The members of NewJeans announced their termination of the exclusive contract with Ador last November and embarked on a separation from Ador. They are continuing independent activities under the new team name NJZ in anticipation of the legal battle. They have opened an official account and an account for expressing their position created by their parents to actively communicate with fans.