For over a yr, the Ok-pop trade has been embroiled in a heated debate over the lady group NewJeans. The truth is, even the identify “NewJeans” has change into a degree of rivalry following the group’s announcement in February that they’d be rebranded as NJZ. Nonetheless, their administration firm, ADOR, has disputed the legitimacy of this identify change. Whereas the group has requested to be known as NJZ, no authorized ruling has been made on the matter, leaving the present contract intact. Because of this, from a authorized standpoint, NewJeans stays the extra correct designation in the meanwhile.
Amid ongoing authorized uncertainties, NewJeans is shifting forward independently. This March, the group is scheduled to carry out at ComplexCon Hong Kong, the place they’re reportedly debuting a brand new music. This transfer seems to be an try to additional set up their rebranded identification as NJZ. In spite of everything, performing NewJeans’ hit songs whereas adopting a brand new identify may very well be seen as contradictory.
Music organizations and associations in Korea are carefully monitoring the NewJeans state of affairs. In February, 5 main organizations — the Korea Administration Federation, Korea Leisure Producers’ Affiliation, Document Label Trade of Korea, Recording Trade Affiliation of Korea and the Korea Music Content material Affiliation — issued a assertion expressing considerations over NewJeans and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin’s impartial actions. Their main challenge is “tampering,” with suspicions that Min has been making an attempt to take away NewJeans from ADOR.
The assertion from the 5 organizations reads, “For the previous 10 months, we’ve got noticed a rising development, wherein sure events try to resolve non-public disputes by means of media campaigns and unilateral public statements as an alternative of correct negotiations or authorized procedures, together with former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin’s press conferences, NewJeans member Hanni’s look at a Nationwide Meeting audit, and the group’s impartial actions.”
NewJeans followers argue that these 5 organizations are merely echoing ADOR/HYBE’s stance. Nonetheless, the important thing challenge at hand is their emphasis on the significance of “adhering to authorized processes.”
At a press convention on Nov. 28, 2024, NewJeans members introduced that “their contract with ADOR would formally finish at midnight on November twenty ninth.” They said, “We’ve got had sufficient conversations and despatched certification of content material, however there have been no responses throughout that point. As ADOR and HYBE have breached the contract, we’re terminating it.”
Since then, NewJeans has continued its particular person actions and reiterated its stance in interviews with international media. In a CNN interview final month, the group emphasised, “We’ve got fully misplaced belief in ADOR. We imagine we are going to win this battle towards HYBE and ADOR.” By way of Japan’s TV Asahi, a subsidiary of Asahi Shimbun, they said, “Proper now, there are only a few media retailers in Korea that carry our voices. As an alternative of letting that discourage us, we are going to get pleasure from our actions.”
Worldwide followers who’ve carefully adopted NewJeans’ statements could also be extra inclined to facet with the group. Nonetheless, with each the lawsuit verifying the validity of their claims and the injunction software nonetheless ongoing, their assertions stay one-sided. On this context, international media that current NewJeans’ perspective with out offering balanced protection of the continuing authorized dispute threat spreading misinformation.
NewJeans and ADOR stay deeply divided, locked in a tense standoff. On March 7, the Seoul Central District Courtroom held the first listening to on ADOR’s provisional injunction request to “preserve the standing of company and prohibit the signing of promoting contracts.” Each events offered conflicting arguments and failed to achieve a decision.
Because of this, it’s difficult to take a definitive stance between ADOR or NewJeans. Essentially the most prudent factor to do proper now could be to attend and see how the courtroom reaches its determination, primarily based on the varied claims and substantial proof offered by each events.
That is exactly the place shared by the 5 music trade organizations in Korea. On Feb. 27, they held a press convention titled, “Let’s Maintain a Promise: With out Document Producers, There’s No Ok-pop!,” the place they declared:
“Nobody can verify the cancellation of a contract earlier than the courtroom’s judgment, and we should all settle for the authorized end result, no matter it might be. That is the one strategy to shield our trade amid battle and dispute.”
For now, the Ok-pop group watches and waits for the courtroom’s determination — a ruling that might have lasting implications for NewJeans, ADOR and the whole trade.
This text was written by Austin Jin and initially appeared on Billboard Korea.
