The K-pop lawsuit of the century has finally completed its first round of official investigation. NewJeans, now goes by NJZ, personally attended the first court case hearing versus ADOR, although it wasn’t mandatory.
Now, you might be wondering what happened behind the closed doors of the court hearing but reluctant to read the whole report because of the confusing details. No worries! Today, we’re going to help you explain the complete detailed summary of NJZ (NewJeans) VS ADOR first court hearing of the case. Let us help you understand both sides’ POV in simple terms.
That way, entertainment fans and industry investors can grasp the full picture of the contract dispute, the accusations, and what’s at stake for the future of NJZ and K-pop.
NJZ (NewJeans) Personally Attended First Court Hearing of the ADOR Case
The first round of battle is on. After officially changing its group name to NJZ, NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein completed the first court hearing of their case against ADOR to fight for their independent activities.
On March 7, under the presiding Chief Judge Kim Sang Hoon, the Seoul Central District Court had its first hearing for a legal request filed by ADOR against NewJeans. At this hearing, ADOR asked the court to keep their position as NJZ (NewJeans)’s agency and to stop the group from making advertising contracts or doing other activities without ADOR’s permission.
Even though there was no legal obligation for them to attend, all NJZ members arrived dressed in black suits, each holding pens and notebooks, ready to hear and respond to ADOR’s claims. Meanwhile, on ADOR’s side was the HYBE-appointed new CEO of ADOR, Kim Joo Young, who also represented the company during the National Assembly Trial.
Originally, ADOR first requested an injunction on January 6 to prevent NJZ from signing their own advertisement deals. Then, on February 11, they expanded their request, asking the court to prohibit NJZ from performing, singing, or engaging in music-related activities.
Now, let’s break down the arguments from both sides and the key controversies that emerged during the hearing.
Complete Argument from ADOR at First Court Hearing
From ADOR’s perspective, NJZ has no legal right to break their contract, as the company has invested heavily in their careers. Below are the main points ADOR emphasized:
1. NJZ Owes Their Success to HYBE’s Support
ADOR argued that HYBE’s massive financial investment—₩21 billion (approximately US$15.7 million)—was crucial to NJZ’s rise. They claimed that while NJZ members are talented, their success was not solely due to their efforts. ADOR pointed out that the group benefited from HYBE’s vast resources, branding strategies, and marketing influence.
2. NJZ’s Connection to BTS Helped Their Popularity
ADOR further stated that NJZ gained recognition due to their association with BTS. They highlighted that NJZ (NewJeans) members Minji and Hanni previously appeared in BTS’s Permission to Dance music video before NJZ debuted.
According to ADOR, this connection also gave NJZ the advantage of being marketed as “BTS’s little sister group,”boosting their popularity just as NewJeans former producer Min Heejin requested.
3. Breaching Contract Without Justification
ADOR insisted that NJZ (NewJeans) had no valid legal basis to terminate their exclusive contracts.
The company then emphasized that these contracts are industry-standard seven-year agreements recognized as binding by the Korean legal system. Therefore, ADOR claimed that NJZ’s sudden decision to leave was a unilateral move that disregarded their contractual obligations.
4. Allegations of Unfair Treatment Are Unfounded
ADOR also responded to NJZ’s claims of unfair treatment.
NJZ (NewJeans) previously stated that HYBE attempted to block them from publicly showing support for the victims of the Jeju Air plane crash. However, ADOR countered this by saying that NJZ misunderstood the situation and that HYBE never banned them from wearing mourning ribbons.
5. The ILLIT Controversy: No Evidence of Sabotage
NJZ accused HYBE of encouraging other artists, specifically members of the newly debuted group ILLIT, to ignore them. ADOR, however, presented CCTV footage showing that some ILLIT members had actually greeted NJZ. ADOR used this footage to argue that NJZ’s claims of receiving mistreatments were false.
Counterargument from NJZ (NewJeans) on ADOR’s Case
In response, NJZ’s legal team firmly pushed back against ADOR’s claims, focusing on the core issue: the complete breakdown of trust between the members and their former agency.
1. Trust is Broken Beyond Repair
NJZ’s lawyers argued that exclusive contracts are built on mutual trust. They emphasized that ADOR’s leadership change and the removal of former CEO Min Heejin had destroyed that trust.
Not only that but NJZ (NewJeans) members believe that when ADOR’s parent company HYBE mistreated the group and leaking the members’ personal footage and information without consent, ADOR still failed to protect the members as the group’s representative agency.
That is why they believe that mutual trust has been broken beyond repair between the two sides. NJZ (NewJeans) no longer believed they could safely and successfully promote under ADOR’s management.
2. HYBE Discriminated Against NJZ
NJZ presented multiple instances where they felt neglected or sabotaged by HYBE.
They cited examples such as HYBE prioritizing other groups like LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT. They mentioned that when Hyein successfully signed an ambassador deal with a luxury brand, HYBE intervened so LE SSERAFIM ended up signing the deal instead.
Moreover NJZ (NewJeans) also discussed how HYBE purposely let ILLIT gained popularity using NewJeans’ formula. This, and the alleged “large-scale media play” against NJZ (NewJeans) proved how HYBE had tried to sabotage the group, while failing to protect NJZ (NewJeans) intellectual properties (IPs).
3. The Jeju Air Incident: HYBE Tried to Control NJZ’s Actions
NJZ maintained that HYBE initially told them not to wear mourning ribbons at a Japanese music event following the Jeju Air crash.
Despite getting approval from the broadcasting station, NJZ claimed that HYBE tried to prevent them from showing support for the victims. And when the members decided to keep wearing the ribbons still, they found out that HYBE allegedly provided the ribbons, allowing all artists to wear them except NewJeans.
They argued that this was one of many examples of HYBE trying to control their actions.
4. HYBE Deleted Evidence of Mistreatment
NJZ also alleged that HYBE erased CCTV footage that could have proved that ILLIT members ignored them. So, when ADOR provided the CCTV footage during the first court case hearing against NJZ (NewJeans), it raised further question about this incident.
This claim played into their larger argument that HYBE had been working behind the scenes to isolate NJZ (NewJeans) and discredit their complaints.
5. NJZ’s Future as Artists is at Stake
One of NJZ’s strongest arguments was that their careers would suffer if they were forced to remain under ADOR.
As idols with a limited career span, they argued that their ability to create and promote freely was being unfairly restricted. They insisted that they could no longer work under an agency that they did not trust.
NJZ (NewJeans) members themselves also spoke in this first court hearing against ADOR case. Each member delivered emotional statements about their desire to move forward independently. Minji, the group’s leader, stressed that they had no future under ADOR and that their decision to leave was made with careful thought.
“We’ve been treated unfairly so many times. HYBE has treated us so badly that we even thought, ‘Are we really their artists?’
We decided to end our contract because we can’t continue working with ADOR, a company that hurts us instead of protecting us.
So, we really hope the judge understands how we feel.”
Minji.
No Possible Reconciliation?
Finally, the court has requested NJZ’s legal team to provide a structured document outlining the specific reasons for terminating their contracts. Both NJZ (NewJeans) and ADOR will continue submitting evidence after this first court case hearing. Then, a final ruling on ADOR’s injunction request is expected in the coming weeks.
As of now, reconciliation seems unlikely. While ADOR’s CEO Kim Joo Young stated that the company still wants to work with NJZ, the members made it clear that there was no path forward with ADOR. Their trust in the agency is completely broken, and they see no possibility of returning under its management.
If ADOR’s injunction is granted, NJZ may be forced to halt their independent activities until a full legal resolution is reached. However, if NJZ wins, they will be free to continue working without restrictions from ADOR.
This case could set a new precedent in K-pop contract disputes, influencing how future idol groups handle conflicts with their agencies. For fans, it’s a highly emotional battle over the future of one of the most beloved groups in recent years. For investors, it’s a legal showdown that could reshape the structure of artist-agency relationships in the K-pop industry.
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Source: Dispatch, Yonhap News, YTN.
