EntertainmentPosted at: Oct 30 2025 9:08PM


K-pop group NewJeans faces setback in legal fight against agency

Seoul, Oct 30 (UNI) Global K-pop sensation NewJeans has suffered a significant blow in its ongoing legal tussle with record label Ador, after the Seoul Central District upheld the validity of the group's exclusive contract, which runs until 2029.
The five-member act, Hanni, Hyein, Haerin, Danielle and Minji, had announced last year that they were leaving Ador, citing mistreatment and loss of trust after the dismissal of former Ador CEO Min Hee jin, who was instrumental in shaping their early career.
NewJeans said it is "impossible to return to Ador" and continue their activities as normal, the reports said.
In a statement released after the ruling, Ador said it sincerely hopes that the judgment "will serve as an opportunity for the artists to calmly reflect on this matter".
The label added that the it is ready for the members' upcoming activities, including the release of an album, and is now "waiting".
The case has sent shockwaves through South Korea's tightly managed entertainment world, where labels typically hold sweeping control over their artists. The open defiance of a label by one of K-pop's brightest groups has sparked debate over artist autonomy, mental health and the balance of power in a tightly controlled industry.
Formed in July 2022, NewJeans, whose members are aged from 17 to 21, had enjoyed rapid success before their dramatic fallout with the agency.
Their first single Attention topped Korean charts right after their debut, while their hit song SuperShy made multiple "best of the year" lists at the end of 2023, including those compiled by Rolling Stone, NME and Billboard Magazine.
Critics had called them a "game-changer" as their blend of 1990s R&B and sugar-coated pop melodies broke through a K-pop scene dominated by electronic beats.
The fallout between NewJeans and their label began in April 2024, when Ador's parent company Hybe, which also manages BTS and Seventeen, initiated an audit into Ador and accused CEO Min Hee-jin of planning to go independent. Min denied the accusations, but by August, she was dismissed from her position. The band soon issued an ultimatum demanding that Min be reinstated. When Hybe refused, the members went public with a series of complaints against the label, including claims it had deliberately undermined their careers.
One of the group's members, Hanni, also alleged that she suffered workplace harassment while working with the label.
In December, Ador filed a lawsuit asking the court to confirm the validity of their contract with the group.
As the disputes continued, the group's five members attempted to rebrand themselves as NJZ in February. They planned to release a new song, but the promotions were halted by a court order, reports BBC.
The group still performed it at a show in Hong Kong, where they announced a hiatus.
Back in March, after the court injunction was issued, the group described the court's decision as "a shock", but said the five of them would "go through it" together. UNI NST SSP
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