The group NewJeans has had their interview with BBC Korea following their interview with the American weekly magazine "TIME" released. They expressed shock regarding the court's ruling that fully cited ADOR's request for a preliminary injunction for "the protection of the agency's status and the prohibition of contracting advertisements," stating that all decisions made thus far were the members' will.
On the 26th, BBC Korea released an interview with NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Daniel, Haerin, and HAEIN on its official website and YouTube channel. The video was uploaded with the title "NewJeans, the reason for halting NJZ activities."
NewJeans, which conducted two interviews with BBC Korea before and after the preliminary injunction ruling, revealed their reluctance toward ADOR and its parent company HYBE. They also denied rumors of behind-the-scenes involvement by former ADOR CEO Min Heejin.
In an interview conducted before the ruling of the preliminary injunction, Hanni stated, "The decisions we made in the past year were all made after tremendous internal discussions," emphasizing that the dispute with ADOR was the members' will.
Hanni noted, "To be honest, it's not comfortable to keep bringing this topic up. There are stories involving other teams, and we don't want to impact that team in any way. There's no reason or need to do so," adding that "(However) if we don't express our thoughts and feelings publicly, people won't know. I think people would only believe what is reported in the media."
Earlier, Hanni claimed at a National Assembly audit regarding "idol bullying and workplace harassment" that she was told to "ignore" by a manager of the rookie girl group ILLIT under the HYBE subsidiary BELIFT LAB, and that Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of HYBE, did not welcome her.
BBC asked, "There are also claims that 'adults are influencing you.' How much have you thought and made decisions regarding the legal issues?" To this, Hanni shook her head and smiled, stating, "I think it's perceived lightly in some ways because we are young, that we are actually doing something to resolve this issue," and added, "But that doesn't mean we take this situation any less seriously or that we are not contemplating it."
She emphasized, "We always said to each other, 'If even one person is unwilling, we won’t do it.' We could only choose if all five of us agreed."
Daniel explained the reason for entering legal disputes, stating, "In 2024, while I was personally experiencing this situation, I was trying to hide everything quietly. I was suppressing my feelings and trying to ignore what was happening around me," adding, "Because when that situation started, we were preparing for our comeback. But at some point, my feelings reached the verge of exploding. It hurt my heart."
The Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 50 will hold a hearing on the preliminary injunction objection petition filed by the five NewJeans members on the afternoon of the 9th of next month. The members submitted the petition on the 21st, the day the court cited ADOR's request to preserve the agency's status and prohibit contract signing.
Daniel remarked regarding the granting of the preliminary injunction, "I really expected a different outcome, but I remember everyone was truly shocked (when they saw the news)," adding, "We just want to keep working. We wish to continue doing what we love without being hindered, without lies or misunderstandings."
HAEIN said, "After enduring for so long, we have finally raised our voices about the absurdity we experienced. Honestly, in terms of society, the situation is not flowing favorably for us right now," adding, "But I think that situation itself shows the truth. We have spoken out with immense courage."
On the 22nd, NewJeans also stated in an interview with TIME, "We didn't think the K-pop industry would change overnight," adding, "This might be the reality in Korea." The members noted, "We feel the need for change and growth," asserting, "It seems Korea wants to make us revolutionaries."
However, some netizens who encountered the interview expressed negative opinions about NewJeans, claiming that they criticized the K-pop industry to foreign media and made "anti-Korean" remarks.
They unilaterally declared the termination of their contract with ADOR in November last year and have been engaging in independent activities. Instead of the name NewJeans, which ADOR holds trademark rights to, they have been using "NJZ."
The NewJeans members will focus on legal battles instead of activities for the time being. The five members of NewJeans submitted an objection petition to the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 50, which is handling the preliminary injunction case regarding ADOR's management status preservation and advertisement contract prohibition.