“The fact that the current situation is not in our favor socially shows that we’re not in a position where we can speak freely. That’s why it took immense courage to speak out.”
Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein of NJZ (NewJeans) have broken their silence regarding the ongoing dispute with their former agency.
On March 22, the BBC met with the NJZ (NewJeans) members in a Seoul practice room ahead of their performance of the new song ‘Pit Stop’ under their alternative group name, NJZ. The members described the track as a direct reflection of the emotions and experiences they endured over the past year.
Once members of a major K-pop agency, the group broke away from ADOR after a highly publicized conflict, changing their name and attempting to continue their activities independently—a rare move in the K-pop industry.
However, on March 21, a court granted ADOR’s request for an injunction to preserve its status as the group’s legal management, effectively halting the members’ independent activities. In response, the members filed an appeal against the injunction and announced during the song’s release on March 23 that they would suspend all activities in respect of the court’s decision.
ADOR responded by expressing regret over the group’s unauthorized performance under a different name and their unilateral declaration to pause activities, stating, “We hope to meet with the artists soon to discuss their future.”
In two interviews with the BBC—before and after the court’s ruling—the members explained why they began speaking out and why returning to ADOR is no longer an option.
After the injunction ruling, ADOR emphasized its legal rights over NJZ (NewJeans) and expressed its intent to support the group’s upcoming performance at ‘ComplexCon.’ But the members shared their shock upon hearing that ADOR planned to attend their Hong Kong performance.
“We were really shocked. We had expressed how painful everything had been and clearly said we couldn’t work with them anymore. Hearing they were coming without discussing it with us felt like history repeating itself,” said one member.
Minji added, “We suffered a great deal emotionally. Going back to that company and facing all that again would be cruel.”
Danielle said they had lost trust in an agency that “didn’t protect us,” adding, “We didn’t start this to gain sympathy. We just wanted to do what we love properly. But lies and misunderstandings keep getting in the way.”
In November last year, the group publicly announced they were terminating their exclusive contracts with ADOR, citing workplace mistreatment and a breakdown in trust. ADOR rejected this, stating that the contracts remain valid and that the termination was a one-sided claim.
As part of a workplace harassment investigation, Hanni testified during a National Assembly hearing in October. On why she chose to speak, she said, “It could’ve been easily dismissed. But I was given a chance to speak up, and I didn’t think I should run or hide from it.”
She added, “This isn’t just about us. It’s about every employee deserving respect in their working environment. I thought this could be a step toward meaningful change.”
However, the Ministry of Employment and Labor concluded that Hanni did not qualify as a “worker” under the Labor Standards Act and dismissed the fan-filed complaint about workplace bullying.
In court, ADOR presented CCTV footage and messages exchanged between Hanni and former CEO Min Hee Jin as evidence there was no harassment. In response, Hanni said ADOR selectively shared only the parts of the CCTV that suited their narrative and distorted the meaning of her texts, accusing the agency of building a self-serving story.
ADOR stated that only scenes relevant to the incident were preserved and that all other footage was deleted in accordance with data protection laws. They did not answer when asked by the BBC whether they had verified the context of Hanni’s messages.
Amid growing public debate over whether the young members were being manipulated or trying to evade legal responsibility, Hanni firmly dismissed such claims in a BBC interview on March 12.
“People assume that we’re too young to decide for ourselves. But being young doesn’t mean we take things any less seriously or think less deeply. We had thorough discussions, and all five of us were on the same page. That’s why we could do this.”
She continued, “If we had stayed silent, only HYBE’s narrative and media reports would be taken as the truth. We couldn’t just let the essence of the issue be blurred and our words distorted.”
Minji admitted that while they have spoken out boldly, they have been far from fearless. “Of course we were scared. From the moment we held the press conference, we knew judgments would come raining down on us. We’re fully aware of the responsibility that comes with every word and action.”
But they felt speaking out was the only way to protect their future and continue doing what they love.
Hyein echoed this, saying, “This is about our lives. Of course we had to step up ourselves.”
“Every Day Felt Like a Documentary… Just Survive Today” Despite their proactive approach—holding press conferences and attending legal hearings—the emotional toll of the legal disputes and media scrutiny has been immense.
On March 12, Hyein described the past year as feeling like “shooting a documentary day by day.” “You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so I’ve been living with the mindset of ‘just get through today.’ Sometimes I wondered why I had to go through such hard days, but now I see it was part of the process of finding my own answers. I’m slowly getting better.”
Danielle admitted she initially tried to stay silent and push through. “I kept everything in and just focused on practice, trying to ignore the situation so I could stand on stage for our fans. But looking back, that only made things harder.”
Through this ordeal, she learned the importance of expressing her emotions and said the experience gave her a broader perspective on herself, her fans, and the world.
Hanni confessed to being afraid of not being able to work again. “That’s the one thing I really want to avoid.”
She added that another fear was “losing myself.”
“If I lose myself, everything will fall apart. But I haven’t lost who I am—because I have my members and my family beside me.”
The NJZ (NewJeans) members say that this experience has brought them even closer together.
“We’ve been listening to different opinions and constantly thinking about what the best decision is at any given time. Honestly, not every choice we made was perfect. We don’t know everything, and we can’t solve everything. But what matters is that we’ve always tried our best.”
SEE ALSO: Min Hee Jin to appeal labor office’s workplace harassment fine