NewJeans’ Legal Struggle to Break Free from ADOR’s Control Wraps Up in a 15 Minutes Short Court Hearing on April 9, 2025, at Seoul Central District Court
The ongoing legal clash between K-pop group NewJeans—now known as NJZ—and their agency ADOR took another turn today. A court hearing that lasted just 15 minutes wrapped up at the Seoul Central District Court, leaving fans and industry watchers waiting for the next move in this heated dispute.
The battle started heating up when NewJeans tried to break free from ADOR, claiming the agency mistreated them and broke their trust. Today’s hearing was all about their objection to an injunction—a legal order—that ADOR won on March 21. That injunction stops the group from doing any independent work, like signing advertising deals or performing, without ADOR’s approval. The court backed ADOR last month, saying the agency still legally manages the group.
Here’s the kicker: the hearing was super short. Held privately at NJZ’s request, it began on April 9, 2025, under Chief Judge Kim Sang Hoon in the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 50. No group members showed up—only their lawyers and ADOR’s legal team were there. Reports say the whole thing was over in 15 minutes, and both sides walked out without saying a word to the press.
Why the rush? NJZ filed their objection right after the March 21 ruling, arguing that the court didn’t fully consider how their trust in ADOR had completely fallen apart. They’ve been vocal about feeling mistreated by ADOR and its parent company, HYBE, pointing to things like unfair treatment and the messy exit of former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin, who played a huge role in shaping the group.
This fight goes back to November 2024, when NewJeans shocked everyone by announcing they were done with ADOR. They held an emotional press conference, saying the agency breached their contract and ignored their pleas for change. After that, they started calling themselves NJZ and tried to go solo. But ADOR hit back hard, filing lawsuits to prove their contract still stands and pushing for the injunction to keep the group in line.
The March 21 ruling was a win for ADOR. It forced NJZ to stop all independent plans, including a big performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong on March 23, where they debuted a new song, “Pit Stop,” under their new name. After the court’s decision, they went quiet, dropped the NJZ social media accounts, and switched to using MHDHH—a code based on their initials: Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein.
Today’s hearing didn’t change much on the surface. It was a chance for NJZ to argue against the injunction, but the short time suggests neither side brought big new evidence. The court’s decision on this objection is coming soon, and it could shake things up—not just for NewJeans and ADOR, but for how K-pop artists and agencies work together.
What Led to This Point?
The trouble started brewing over a year ago when NewJeans clashed with HYBE and ADOR over management issues. Things got worse when Min Hee Jin was removed as ADOR’s CEO. The group said she was key to their success, and without her, they couldn’t trust the agency anymore. In November 2023, they sent ADOR a list of eight fixes they wanted, but claim the agency did nothing.
Fast forward to November 2024, and NewJeans made their bold move. They said their contract was over as of November 29 and started acting on their own. ADOR didn’t take it lying down—they filed a lawsuit in December to confirm the contract’s validity and followed up with the injunction request in January 2025.
The first big court face-off happened on March 7. All five members showed up, dressed in black, and spoke out. Haerin said she felt helpless watching HYBE trash their image. Danielle talked about her fear during media attacks on Min Hee Jin. Hyein called ADOR a group of HYBE loyalists who wouldn’t defend them. Hanni accused HYBE of hypocrisy, and Minji shared how stressed they’d been. Their lawyers argued that HYBE marginalized them and that ADOR failed to step in, making the contract worthless.
ADOR fired back, saying the group’s success came from HYBE’s massive support—21 billion won (about $14.5 million) in investments, plus perks like appearing in BTS videos before their debut. They claimed NewJeans had no real reason to ditch the contract—just vague complaints about HYBE not liking them. The agency pointed out each member got 5 billion won in profits, proving they’d held up their end.
What’s at Stake Now?
The objection hearing today was NJZ’s shot at overturning the injunction. If the court says no, they’re stuck under ADOR’s control until the main lawsuit—set for its next hearing on June 5—decides if their contract termination was legal. If they lose that too, they could be tied to ADOR until their original deal, signed in April 2022, runs out.
This isn’t just about NewJeans. The K-pop world is watching. A win for NJZ could mean more power for artists to challenge agencies. A win for ADOR might tighten the grip labels have on their stars. Fans are split—some back the group’s fight for freedom, while others say they should respect the contract.
The court’s ruling on this objection will drop soon. Until then, NewJeans can’t move forward independently. Their last public act was that Hong Kong show, and since then, they’ve been on pause, waiting for the law to decide their fate.
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