A South Korean court has issued an injunction blocking members of K-pop group NewJeans from leaving their agency, ADOR. The ruling comes as the group’s five members announced their departure last November and planned to release a new song under a new name, NJZ. However, the court decision threatens to halt those plans.
The court ruled that ADOR should continue managing NewJeans and prohibits the group’s members from engaging in commercial activities without the label’s consent. The decision was made despite concerns from NewJeans about the breakdown of trust between them and ADOR.
NewJeans has expressed their intention to challenge the court’s ruling, stating that it did not fully take into account their “complete breakdown of trust” with the agency. The K-pop group’s departure from ADOR began after infighting between executives and a creative director who left the agency.
The dispute between NewJeans and ADOR is part of a larger controversy surrounding the agency and its parent company, HYBE, which also manages BTS. ADOR has denied allegations of mistreatment and claims to be committed to supporting NewJeans going forward.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/south-korea-court-blocks-k-pop-group-newjeans-leaving-agency-2025-03-21