The group NewJeans (NJZ) is answering reporters' questions as they leave the courthouse after the hearing for the provisional injunction application regarding 'protection of agency status and prohibition of advertising contract conclusion' held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 7th. From left to right: Hanni, Minji, Hyein, Haerin, Daniel. Photo by Yonhap News.
As the court ruled that the group NewJeans (new stage name NJZ), currently in an exclusive contract dispute with the music agency ADOR, should not operate independently, both parties have issued official statements.
The Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 50 (Chief Presiding Judge Kim Sang-hoon) on the 21st accepted ADOR's provisional injunction request against the five NewJeans members, ordering the preservation of the agency's status and prohibiting the signing of advertising contracts, and issued an injunction decision.
ADOR released an official statement in the afternoon, saying, "We appreciate the wise judgment of the provisional injunction court," and added, "Having legally confirmed our status as NewJeans' agency, we will fulfill our responsibilities in supporting the artists going forward."
Earlier, NewJeans declared the termination of their exclusive contract with ADOR and announced plans to promote under the new team name NJZ. They were scheduled to perform and release new songs under the name NJZ at ComplexCon in Hong Kong on the 23rd.
ADOR stated, "We plan to fully support the weekend ComplexCon performance under the name of NewJeans affiliated with ADOR on site," and added, "We hope to have sincere discussions with the artists as soon as possible."
The NJZ (NewJeans) side expressed disagreement with the court's provisional injunction decision. Through their official account, they said, "We believe this decision failed to fully consider that the members' trust in ADOR has been completely broken."
They continued, "We plan to dispute additional issues through the objection process regarding today's injunction decision and will supplement our evidence as much as possible during that process."
They further claimed, "Until the termination of the exclusive contract, the members faithfully fulfilled their obligations without any fault, whereas ADOR and its parent company HYBE have continuously treated the members unfairly and discriminatively, breaking their trust. It is only a matter of time before the truth becomes clear."
The NJZ (NewJeans) members intend to proceed with their scheduled performance at ComplexCon in Hong Kong on the 23rd. However, it seems difficult for them to appear on stage under the name NJZ due to the court's ruling.
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