The legal battle was also prompted by the 2024 firing of former ADOR CEO and NewJeans creative director Min Hee-jin which NewJeans argued left a managerial vacuum at the label. In response to this point, the Seoul court ruled that Min’s departure “does not in itself mean that a managerial vacuum was created or that Ador became incapable of fulfilling its contractual obligations.”
In September 2024, the five NewJeans members announced in a surprise press conference that they intended to dissolve their ADOR contract over Min’s firing and alleged bullying at the company. Later, the members debuted a new group name, NJZand performed independently at a music festival in Hong Kong. ADOR responded with a lawsuit asking the court to reaffirm their contract and injunctions preventing the members from further independent activities. In February 2025, the Seoul court granted the injunctions.
