NewJeans members, from left, Hanni, Minji, Hyein, Haerin and Danielle speak to reporters after the first injunction hearing at Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, March 7. On March 21, the court ruled in favor of Ador’s request for an injunction, blocking the band from engaging in independent activities. Newsis
By Pyo Kyung-min
As the legal battle between K-pop girl group NewJeans and its agency Ador drags on, a faction of the group’s fanbase exposed a deepening divide among fans over the conflict by staging a protest truck rally outside HYBE’s headquarters, urging the members to reopen dialogue with the company.
The demonstration, which began Thursday, featured trucks sent by some members of NewJeans’ official fan club, Bunnies, parked outside HYBE’s headquarters in Yongsan District, Seoul. LED screens displayed messages urging the group to reconsider its current moves pursuing independence, including “A conversation with Ador is necessary,” and “The risks NewJeans will face are too great to regret later.”
The protest comes after a March 21 ruling by the Seoul Central District Court that granted Ador’s injunction, blocking NewJeans from signing contracts without its agency Ador and effectively halting the group’s bid for independence that began in November 2024.
Two days later, NewJeans escalated its stance, announcing during its appearance at ComplexCon Hong Kong that it would suspend all activities indefinitely. With the move reinforcing the group’s refusal to return to Ador, the agency expressed regret over the decision.
The fan-organized protest trucks reflect an emerging split within the fandom itself, openly challenging the group’s uncompromising stance. The LED screen on the protest truck carried messages not just urging the group to reconsider but also criticizing the adults around them, implying they had influenced the members’ decisions.
“Already one year of inactivity, three more years in lawsuits. Everyone will forget you,” read one translated message. Others declared, “The adults around NewJeans, stop gaslighting them” and “Bunnies respect NewJeans but cannot stand by while it walks a dangerous path.”
A protest truck criticizing NewJeans displays a sign reading, “Team Bunnies do not represent the entire fandom; talks with Ador are necessary,” outside HYBE’s headquarters in Yongsan District, Seoul, Thursday. Team Bunnies is a group within NewJeans fandom, supporting the girl band’s independence from Ador. Captured from X
The fanbase’s public protest against NewJeans is considered a rarity, as a majority of them had been rooting for the girl band’s independence from Ador, praising the group’s resilience against the K-pop conglomerate.
However, industry insiders note that sentiment may have shifted due to the recent court decision granting an injunction against NewJeans, rejecting all 11 claims the group cited as grounds for terminating its contracts, as well as a series of interviews with foreign media in which the members criticized the broader K-pop industry that had contributed to their rise.
Still, another significant portion of the fandom remained firmly in the group’s corner.
One of the biggest pro-NewJeans factions, also known as Team Bunnies, remained vocal in its belief that Ador failed to fulfill its obligations to the group, releasing a statement reaffirming its unwavering support for all five members, a day before the truck protests began.
“We stand by the members in their decision not to remain with HYBE and Ador … After consulting multiple legal experts, we believe that forcing exclusive activities under a broken trust relationship severely infringes upon their personal rights. Given the broader context of this case, there is a strong chance for a different outcome in the appeal process,” the statement read.
“As fans who love the members above all else, we refuse to support a company that does not treat them as equal human beings, even for a second.”
Team Bunnies also urged opposing fans not to misuse the fandom’s collective name, Bunnies, to justify their differing viewpoints.