NewJeans: Court rules against embattled K-pop band days before headline show
CNN
A South Korean court has ruled against K-pop band NewJeans in its long-running dispute with record label Ador.
A South Korean court has ruled against K-pop band NewJeans in its long-running dispute with record label Ador, upholding an injunction that temporarily prohibits the group from carrying out independent musical or commercial activities. At a Friday hearing, the Seoul Central District Court said the band’s attempt to rename itself and break away from Ador could “seriously damage” the label’s reputation, according to court documents. The five-piece group, which recently announced it was rebranding as NJZ, has repeatedly claimed its contract with Ador to be void amid allegations of mistreatment. The band’s members have accused the label of “manipulation,” “deliberate miscommunications” and workplace harassment. Ador has meanwhile disputed those allegations and asserted that NewJeans remains under contract, meaning its members cannot carry out entertainment activities without the label’s approval. Ador — a subsidiary of Hybe, the entertainment giant behind K-pop acts including BTS — added in an email to CNN that “most” of the NewJeans’ allegations “have arisen from misunderstandings.” The legal battle has gripped South Korea since last November, when NewJeans staged an emotional press conference announcing it was terminating its contract with Ador. Last month, the band’s members announced they were changing their name to NJZ. Speaking to CNN at the time, band member Pham Ngoc Han, who goes by Hanni, said the move was a way of “turning this rough period of time into something more exciting.” The ruling comes just days before a scheduled headline performance at the ComplexCon Hong Kong festival, where the group was due to perform under the name NJZ for the first time. In a statement posted to social media on Friday, the band confirmed that Sunday’s appearance would go ahead to “prevent unnecessary disruption or harm to those who have been looking forward” to the show.
