From left are NJZ members, Minji, Danielle, Hyein, Hanni and Haerin, formerly the girl group NewJeans under K-pop label Ador. The five members declared that their contracts with Ador have been terminated due to the company’s lack of support and protection, signaling a fresh start under a new name, NJZ. Courtesy of Ador
Ador denies allegations
By Pyo Kyung-min
The parents of the members of K-pop group NJZ have accused HYBE Labels Chairman Bang Si-hyuk of interfering with the group’s planned concert in Hong Kong, its first event since changing its name from NewJeans. However, the group’s label, Ador, refuted the claim.
The parents of NJZ’s five members posted a statement on Wednesday, on a newly created Instagram account (@njz_pr), alleging that despite the group’s decision to operate independently, they continued to face hurdles.
“We heard from a ComplexCon official that HYBE’s Chairman Bang Si-hyuk personally called some U.S. officials, pressuring them to cancel NJZ’s performance,” the post read.
Expressing frustration, the parents added, “We were deeply upset and angry. HYBE still sees the members purely as a means to make money, showing no support for their success and instead trying to obstruct and undermine them. We’ve also received reports that Ador attempted to interfere in multiple ways.”
In response, Ador sent a statement to the press refuting the allegations.
“We have never attempted to block NJZ’s Hong Kong concert. We have also checked on Chairman Bang Si-hyuk and he has also never made any calls regarding the event,” the agency said.
“Ador simply requested the event organizers use the official team name ‘NewJeans,’ as was also requested of media, and to proceed with the concert under Ador’s management in accordance with the exclusive contract.”
HYBE Chairperson Bang Si-hyuk attends as a member of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), at its 64th annual general meeting in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo District, Thursday. Yonhap
Playing sides
The Instagram post from NJZ’s parents came after five major industry organizations — the Korea Management Federation, the Korea Entertainment Producer’s Association, the Record Label Industry Association of Korea, the Recording Industry Association of Korea and the Korea Music Content Association — released a joint statement Wednesday, addressing the dispute.
They criticized NJZ and former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin for trying to resolve the conflict by “manipulating public opinion” and making “unilateral declarations rather than legal or internal discussions.” They also urged the government and the National Assembly to implement policies to curb “tampering,” a major source of conflict that they say is pushing K-pop into crisis.
NJZ’s parents criticized the statement in an Instagram response, calling it “deeply regrettable” that unverified claims were being treated as facts, compromising the fairness of legal proceedings.
NJZ and Ador are set to face each other in court on March 7 and April 3, with hearings on an injunction to uphold Ador’s management rights and a lawsuit over the validity of the exclusive contract, respectively.
The parents refuted claims that NJZ’s contract termination would threaten the foundation of the K-pop industry, labeling it as a “completely misleading argument designed to misinform the public.”
They argued that it is hypocritical for industry organizations to side with Ador, focusing solely on potential financial losses rather than the artists’ rights.
“The members are taking a courageous stand through legal channels against a company that refuses to fulfill its duty of care. The associations, however, are only advocating for the company’s interests.”
The five NJZ members, formerly of NewJeans under agency Ador, perform at the 39th Golden Disk Awards, held at Fukuoka’s PayPay Dome, Japan, Jan. 6. Courtesy of Ador
‘Courageous decision’
The parents maintained that HYBE’s actions justified the contract termination.
“HYBE has blatantly discriminated, attacked and attempted to blacklist NJZ members, while Ador had neither the ability nor the will to protect them,” they said. “The members had no choice but to terminate their contracts, which took immediate legal effect. Therefore, their exclusive contracts with Ador are no longer valid.”
Dismissing concerns over broader industry repercussions, the parents insisted, “This is a dispute between specific artists and their agency, not an issue affecting the entire K-pop industry.”
“On the contrary, we believe this courageous decision from the NJZ members will help create a healthier, more diverse and creative industry,” they added.
While many industry insiders believe the law favors the agency, they noted that the unprecedented nature of the case has left opinions sharply divided within the industry.
“We’ve never seen the entire industry so split over an issue like this,” an entertainment agency executive said on condition of anonymity. “The fact that even the parents are stepping in shows how unprecedented this situation is in K-pop. At this point, everyone is just waiting for the court’s fair ruling.”