NJZ’s (NewJeans) Latest Demand During “Contract Validity” Court Hearing Sparks Heated Reactions

NJZ‘s (NewJeans) recent move in their ongoing legal battle with ADOR has caught attention as the group waits on a decision regarding the validity of their exclusive contracts.

On July 24, the third court hearing for the “exclusive contract validity” lawsuit took place at the Seoul Central District Court. While the group, the company, and Min Hee Jin are involved in several other legal fights, this hearing aims to confirm the validity of the members’ exclusive contracts with ADOR.

However, NJZ side’s demand before the hearing even started has sparked intrigue and heated reactions from Korean netizens. Ahead of each side presenting their arguments, legal representatives for the members of NJZ made a notable request to the court: while they would not object to evidence being submitted, they asked that certain materials — specifically those collected unlawfully or deemed sensitive — not be mentioned in open court.

Despite this, ADOR’s team proceeded to reference a key piece of evidence: a KakaoTalk message where Min Hee Jin allegedly stated, “I’m going to take them [NJZ] back after three years.” ADOR’s move triggered an immediate backlash from NJZ’s legal team, who accused ADOR of intentionally revealing private information despite previous objections.

The court, however, dismissed the protest. The judge claimed that since this is all known information, there was no need to not present it in open court.

Even I know about it. Do you think reporters don’t? You can’t just interrupt during the arguments. Please refrain. This whole ‘taking them back’ issue is something we’ve all already heard.

— Judge

Once the news became public, Korean citizens reacted harshly to NJZ’s request.

• “They still don’t seem to grasp reality.”
• “Why are they acting so stupid?”
• “Aren’t they lawyers? Why are they making such unreasonable moves?”
• “Where on earth did they find these lawyers? They’re doing such a poor job.”
• “Honestly, the NJZ members themselves are just being a nuisance.”

As the legal conflict continues, so does public scrutiny, and NJZ’s approach in court is now raising as many questions as the case itself.