Last year, a South Korean court ordered record-breaking K-Pop girl group NewJeans to cease all independent activities while their battle with label ADOR is ongoing. However, speaking in a new interview, the five-piece have doubled down on their fight for artistic freedom.
“This fight is necessary,” group member Haerin told the BBC. “Although it will be extremely difficult and arduous, we will keep doing what we have done so far and speak up.”
The feud began in April 2024, when a dispute broke out between NewJeans’ CEO Min Hee-jin and their parent company Hybe Corporation. Hybe executives alleged that Min had plotted to gain full ownership of NewJeans, while Min claimed that the girl group had suffered unfair competition from Hybe’s other artists.
The dispute led to Min’s dismissal in August 2024, but NewJeans sided with Min. In a rare public criticism of South Korean label practices, the girl group hosted a livestream in September 2024 in which they expressed distrust of Hybe and urged chairman Bang Si-hyuk to reinstate Min.
Later that year, NewJeans member Hanni took Hybe to court for workplace harassment, alleging that the megalabel had deliberately undermined the group and ignored their concerns. The case was ultimately dismissed on the grounds that K-pop groups are not classed as workers and therefore not entitled to labour rights.
In response, NewJeans moved to terminate their contract with ADOR and parent company Hybe. The dispute is currently unresolved, with a court hearing set for next week.
Over the next few months, ADOR filed an injunction against NewJeans to prevent the group from signing independent advertising contracts while the legal dispute was ongoing. Meanwhile NewJeans rebranded under the new name NJZ.
They were booked to perform in Hong Kong under the new name in March 2025, but two days before the show, ADOR’s injunction was granted. The show featured the unveiling of new song “Pit Stop”, and closed with the announcement of NewJeans’ hiatus until their dispute with ADOR and Hybe is resolved.
Speaking to BBC yesterday (March 26), the girl group renewed their commitment to artistic freedom. “Some people think that we’re famous enough to do whatever we want and say whatever we please. But the truth is, it’s not like that at all,” the group explained. “We held it in for a long time, and only now have we finally spoken up about what we think, what we feel and the unfairness we’ve experienced.”
“We’ve always said to each other, if one person doesn’t want to do it, then we’re not going to do it. It has to be all five of us that agrees to do it,” added group member Hanni. “We’re going to get through it.”
NewJeans quickly rose to fame, becoming one of the world’s most successful pop groups after their self-titled musical debut in 2022. More widely, their dispute with Hybe raises questions about the stark control that K-Pop labels hold over their artists, often discouraging talent from speaking out independently and exerting excessive influence over their public image.
This article has been updated.
