K-Pop Dispute: Newjeans and Hybe Label Ador Clash
The battle between Superstars K-Pop Newjeans and Hybe Label Ador unfolded on Friday (February 7) with Newjeans’ announcement of their rebranding as njz.
This news follows the appointment of the Law Firm Shin & Kim LLC last month to represent the group in ongoing legal conflicts with Ador.
Legal Battles and Contract Issues
Members of Newjeans—Minji, Hannie, Daniel, Harin, and Hayin—previously announced their intention to terminate their contracts with Ador in November due to the fallout between Hybe and the former general director of Ador, producer Min Hee-Jin.
In December, Ador filed a lawsuit in South Korea, seeking validation of its exclusive contract with the group.
Additionally, Ador submitted a lawsuit last month to prevent Newjeans from engaging in promotions or advertising activities without the label’s approval.
A public hearing regarding the preliminary legal ban is set for March 7.
A representative of HYBE/Ador issued a statement in response to the rebranding news, asserting that the K-Pop stars remain legally bound to contracts with Ador.
“Despite the ongoing trial regarding the exclusive agreement between Ador and the Newjeans members, we deeply regret that the participants made this unilateral decision (to declare a new stage name),” the Ador Hybe statement read.
“We deeply regret that the participants unilaterally made this choice.”
Representative of Hybe
The statement further noted, “Ador is still committed to protecting the value of the Newjeans brand. We are willing to meet with Newjeans members or their legal representatives at any time to clarify misunderstandings and cooperate on future activities.”
Allegations of Mismanagement
In a statement released last month announcing their legal representation, Newjeans claimed that “Hybe and Ador (had) failed to fulfill their responsibilities as agents for the protection and development of their artists.”
Newjeans also accused Ador and Hybe of neglecting their management duties and attempted to disband the group under the guise of an “extended vacation.” They alleged that the company orchestrated a negative media campaign against them.
“Even after our exclusive contract was legally terminated, we continued to receive unreasonable criticism through media channels and YouTube, most of which could only have originated from Ador and Hybe. We cannot help but conclude that Ador and Hybe are at the center of these issues,” Newjeans stated.
“Given that Ador and Hybe appointed Law Firm KIM & CHANG as their representative, we believed it was necessary to retain a law firm capable of effectively countering this. We believe Shin & Kim LLC is the best choice, as they are already familiar with the misconduct and challenges posed by Hybe and Ador, which is critical for addressing the rapidly evolving legal situation,” the group added in a statement released to local media.
The conflict between Ador and Newjeans is part of a larger internal struggle involving the former general director of Ador and creative director Min Hee-Jin.
Previously, Hybe accused Min, who founded Newjeans, of trying to sell company shares and misusing confidential information.
Hybe, which owns 80% of Ador, removed Min as the general director of the label in August 2024. Following his dismissal, Hybe restructured Ador, redistributing production and management roles and offering Min a position as the head producer, which he declined.
Since then, Newjeans members have publicly suggested mistreatment by Ador staff. During a live broadcast on YouTube in September, they claimed to have overheard instructions to ignore them.
