The band’s label NewJeans has filed a lawsuit against the K-pop group to prevent it from entering into advertising deals independently amid a contractual dispute.
After announcing its departure from the ADOR label last year, popular South Korean group NewJeans is being sued by the company, which filed a request for an injunction with the Seoul Central District Court to restore its role of exclusive manager of the girls band, but also to prevent members from signing contracts and advertising activities without prior approval.
A meteoric rise
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the label blames the members – Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein – for seeking advertisers to sign independent label deals despite the ongoing contractual dispute. “This decision was made to avoid confusion and potential harm to third parties, including advertisers,” ADOR said in a statement.
“Allowing unilateral terminations of exclusive contracts and independent activities without legal procedures could harm investment in the entertainment industry and destabilize the K-pop sector,” the agency added, citing the petition.
Formed in 2022 by the South Korean agency HYBE, parent company of the label, ADOR, NewJeans quickly established itself on the music scene. Their debut single, “Attention,” achieved international success, and the group became the fastest in K-pop history to reach one billion streams on Spotify. In 2023, according to Guinness World Records, the group was ranked among the world’s best-selling artists. At the origin of this success, producer Min Hee-jin, an emblematic figure of K-pop.
The producer accused
However, last April, internal tensions erupted when HYBE accused the producer, at the time director of the ADOR subsidiary, of violation of trust, triggering a legal and media battle. She then hit back by accusing the company of copying her model of launching K-pop stars to promote a competing girl group. Ousted from her position in August, Min Hee-jin officially left the label in November, announcing her intention to sue HYBE.
-In support of their producer, the members issued an ultimatum to HYBE, demanding her immediate reinstatement and an apology for accusations of harassment made against a company official. In a 27-minute video posted to their new YouTube channel “nwjns,” titled “What NewJeans Meant,” the group detailed their demands.
On November 28, during a press conference, the girls announced the unilateral termination of their contract with ADOR, accusing the agency of bullying and mistreatment. Members affirmed their intention to pursue their careers independently, despite the potential repercussions.
Significant consequences
The label filed a lawsuit in December to validate the initial contract, which was to run until 2027. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, if the court rules in favor of NewJeans, the members will be able to join another agency but will lose the rights to the group name.
However, if the contract remains valid, they could be required to pay an astronomical penalty estimated at 300 billion won (more than 200 million euros). Additionally, Hanni, a member of Vietnamese-American descent, could lose his work visa in South Korea, which is conditional on an exclusive contract with a recognized agency.
