NJZ (NewJeans) Claim They Will Return To ADOR Under Only One Condition
The ongoing legal dispute between NJZ (NewJeans) and their agency ADOR has taken a new turn after both sides appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on July 24 for the third hearing regarding the validity of the group’s exclusive contracts.
During the session, the court confirmed a mediation date for August 14, which will be held behind closed doors. The outcome could be a significant turning point in the battle between the popular girl group and their agency.
What caught most attention is a recent statement from NJZ’s legal team: the members are not entirely opposed to returning to ADOR. However, they emphasized one firm condition.
It’s not that [the members] absolutely refuse to return to ADOR. If ADOR can be returned to how it was before the audit in April 2024, [they] would be willing to go back. But if that’s not possible, then we hope they will let [the members] go by terminating the contract.
— NJZ’s legal team
The group’s team further argued that the legal conflict originated from HYBE’s audit of Min Hee Jin earlier last year. They claim that even though the main issue was the accusations of breach of duty, NJZ suffered the most.
This legal fight began because HYBE launched an audit against Min Hee Jin in April 2024. They claimed she was trying to seize management control and ‘take’ NewJeans, but there was no evidence in the audit or grounds for dismissal. The main issue was alleged breach of duty, and in the midst of it all, NewJeans suffered the most. Police later found no evidence of Min Hee Jin committing breach of duty. The audit and dismissal attempts were based on false premises and intended to remove Min Hee Jin.
— NJZ’s legal team
NJZ’s side also strongly claimed they can no longer trust ADOR as it is now “controlled by HYBE staff.” The team firmly reiterated that they cannot return to ADOR in its current state.
Today’s ADOR is not the same ADOR that led to our past success. It’s now controlled by HYBE staff. The so-called generous support and dividends came when Min Hee Jin was CEO. We can’t trust ADOR anymore, which is why we can’t return to it in its current state.
— NJZ’s legal team
