The ongoing legal battle between NewJeans and their label, ADOR, is set to reach the courtroom as the Seoul Central District Court has scheduled the first hearing for March 7 during which ADOR’s injunction against the five-member girl group will be discussed. However, amid the legal turmoil, the five members—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—are forging a new path under the name NJZ.
The rebranding was officially announced on Friday, February 7, by the members themselves and American media company COMPLEX. The announcement comes ahead of the group’s headlining performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong, scheduled for March 21–23, where they will debut new music. “We are thrilled to be stepping onto the stage for the first time as NJZ and sharing something new with everyone. It’s a big moment for us, and we can’t wait for fans to be a part of this journey with us and hear the new music we’ve been eagerly waiting to share,” Minji said in a press release.
Did the members terminate their contract with ADOR?
The now renamed NJZ members announced the termination of their contracts with HYBE and its sub-label ADOR in November 2024, citing the agency’s failure to address alleged contractual breaches. The termination, however, was made public through a press conference, following which, they launched a new Instagram account in December.
However, ADOR has contested this claim, stating that they never received an official termination notice. In response, the agency took legal action, filing an injunction in January to prevent the members from signing independent advertising contracts without its approval. According to Korean media outlet Daily Sports, ADOR argued that such actions violated the group’s exclusive contract, which legally requires all promotional activities to be authorized by the agency.
Not just advertising, ADOR has also voiced concerns over the group trying to rebrand themselves. Reports suggest that the members had been considering a name change for some time. ADOR stated that they viewed this move as a serious contractual violation, further intensifying tensions between the two parties.
In December, ADOR also filed a lawsuit challenging the validity of the group’s contract termination. The first hearing for this case has been scheduled for April 3, following the court’s review of the advertising injunction in March. ADOR has warned that if idols are allowed to walk away from contracts without legal consequences, it could destabilize the K-pop industry. The agency insists that NewJeans remains contractually bound and is seeking court intervention to prevent the group from officially leaving.
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