NewJeans can’t shake an injunction banning them from participating in “independent entertainment activities” without approval from HYBE-owned label ADOR.
On Tuesday (June 17), the Seoul High Court rejected an appeal filed by the five members of the K-Pop group against the injunction.
According to ADOR, the decision has “reaffirmed the label’s exclusive rights as the group’s sole management agency,” with the court ruling in favor of ADOR once again.
This is the court’s third decision with the same order, following the Seoul Central District Court’s rulings in March and April 2025, respectively.
“We sincerely appreciate the court’s decision,” said ADOR in a statement sent to MBW.
“We hope that this ruling will serve as an opportunity for the members to return to their rightful place as NewJeans and resume their activities.”
Ador
“We hope that this ruling will serve as an opportunity for the members to return to their rightful place as NewJeans and resume their activities.
“As they approach their third debut anniversary next month, ADOR is committed to providing full support for the artists’ further growth and success.”
The development marks the latest in the dispute between the K-pop group and ADOR, which began in November when NewJeans publicly announced their plan to terminate their exclusive contract with ADOR during an emergency press conference on November 28.
This prompted ADOR to file a lawsuit in December, seeking to confirm the validity of its exclusive contracts with the NewJeans members.
In January, ADOR filed for a preliminary injunction against the group to prevent the members from pursuing independent activities without company approval.
NewJeans announced in February that they had rebranded as “NJZ,” after launching their own social media accounts in December.
Following the name change, the court ordered the group to halt their independent activities and return to working with ADOR, granting the label’s request and ruling that there is “insufficient evidence to support the claims made by the NewJeans members,” per Korea JoongAng Daily.
On May 30, the court warned NewJeans that they would be ordered to pay 1 billion won (USD $726,300) per member for each unauthorized activity outside their agency’s control, potentially totaling 5 billion won ($3.6 million) if all five members perform together.
Multiple news outlets in South Korea reported that the Seoul Central District Court approved ADOR‘s enforcement application, citing violations of the initial March injunction that prevented the group from conducting independent promotional activities.
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