NewJeans Claims HYBE Discriminated Against Them Compared to LE SSERAFIM

At 10:30 AM on the 7th, the 50th Civil Affairs Department of the Seoul Central District Court held a hearing for an injunction filed by ADOR against the five members of NewJeans. The injunction seeks to preserve ADOR’s status as the group’s agency and prohibit the members from signing independent advertising contracts.

NewJeans’ Legal Argument

NewJeans’ legal representative stated, “HYBE’s large-scale media manipulation, the restructuring of Newburygo, the plagiarism controversy involving Eyelet, and the breakdown of cooperation with the dolphin kidnapping group all occurred between 2023 and 2024. No other artist under HYBE’s label has experienced such treatment except for the members of NewJeans.”

He continued, “HYBE’s other labels have consistently engaged in unfair practices, and ADOR lacks the ability to prevent or address them. If the same situation had occurred at another agency, it would not have been ignored as ADOR has done.”

Claims of Discrimination Against NewJeans

In particular, NewJeans’ representatives pointed to LE SSERAFIM, a girl group under HYBE’s subsidiary Source Music, claiming that HYBE treated them more favorably than NewJeans.

“HYBE initially stated that NewJeans would debut as ‘HYBE’s first girl group.’ Former CEO Min Hee-jin also joined HYBE with this expectation. However, after the debut evaluation in March 2021, HYBE largely neglected NewJeans until September 2021,” they argued.

They further explained, “Meanwhile, Source Music recruited Sakura, Kim Chaewon, and Heo Yunjin and prioritized debuting LE SSERAFIM first, without providing any explanation. Additionally, member Hyein was originally selected as a brand ambassador for a specific company, but the position was suddenly given to LE SSERAFIM instead. After checking with the brand, we discovered that HYBE had intervened, prompting the brand to seek our understanding and even issue an apology.”

The Legal Battle Between ADOR and NewJeans

This injunction hearing marked the first legal proceeding since NewJeans declared the termination of their exclusive contract with ADOR in November 2023. In January 2024, ADOR filed the injunction to prevent NewJeans from independently signing advertising contracts or conducting activities outside the company’s oversight.

At the time, ADOR stated, “We regret that the members are attempting to pursue independent entertainment activities, including adopting a new stage name, before receiving a legal judgment. Such actions could constitute a serious breach of contract.”

NewJeans’ Response and Legal Battle

In response, NewJeans stated, “Even after terminating our exclusive contract, we wanted to complete our remaining schedules and contracts amicably, without disputes, to avoid harming those involved. However, ADOR and HYBE have not cooperated with our intentions. Instead, they have caused damage to us and others through wrongful means.”

They added, “We will expose the injustices committed by ADOR and HYBE through legal action. We will fight proudly in court to reveal the truth.”

Since then, NewJeans has changed their team name to ‘NJZ’ and launched official social media accounts to establish their independent career. In March, they were announced as part of the lineup for a new song release and the Hong Kong festival concert series ‘Complex Live’, where they plan to perform their new song for the first time under the name NJZ.

The day before the injunction hearing, tensions between ADOR and NewJeans escalated, setting the stage for an intense legal battle.

https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/241/0003417970