"Decline in HYBE’s stock price and other damages are HYBE's problems" — NJZ's parents slam Entertainment Associations condemning group's controversy

On February 19, 2025, parents of NJZ (formerly NewJeans) group members issued a statement condemning five major Korean entertainment associations.

The five prominent Korean entertainment organizations—the Korea Entertainment Management Association, Korea Entertainment Producers Association, Korea Music Label Industry Association, Korea Recording Industry Association, and the Korea Music Content Association—issued a joint statement on the morning of February 19, condemning the girl group's recent decision.

They described the group's contract termination with ADOR as "irresponsible" and urged the members to return to the label to resume their activities, emphasizing the potential negative impact on South Korea's cultural and entertainment sectors.

Maeil Business Newspaper reported the five organizations' statement the same day, which cited,

"We're not trying to discuss the dispute between a specific agency and an artist itself. We're trying to inform the public of how deadly the K-pop industry is in the process of unilaterally promulgating and controversial disputes between private parties, and to find and resolve the root cause of such disputes."

The parents of the girl group members publicly responded to the criticisms in the statement. In a detailed statement released via three posts on their shared Instagram account (@njz_pr), they expressed deep disappointment with the associations' stance, arguing that the organizations failed to consider the well-being and rights of the artists involved.

They further emphasized that the decline in HYBE's stock price and other damages are issues for HYBE to address and not the artists, stating:

"Additionally, the decline in HYBE’s stock price and other damages are HYBE's problems, not the K-pop industry's. This clearly demonstrates that these associations are merely representing the interests of a specific company under the guise of an industry-wide concern."

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NJZ's parents accuse HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk of allegedly sabotaging the group's re-debut at ComplexCon

The parents of NJZ members alleged that the five organizations seemed to be aligning with HYBE's interests without thoroughly investigating the circumstances that led to the girl group's contract termination.

They questioned the impartiality of these associations and called for a more balanced and fair assessment of the situation.

Further in their statement, the parents also directed criticism towards Bang Si-hyuk, the founder and chairman of HYBE. They accused him of attempting to sabotage NJZ's scheduled performance at ComplexCon (in Hong Kong) in March 2025.

According to the parents, Bang Si-hyuk allegedly exerted pressure to have the group's appearance canceled, which they viewed as an attempt to undermine NJZ's independence and ongoing activities. They wrote:

"Not long ago, we received information from a ComplexCon official, assisting with our upcoming performance, that HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk personally called U.S. officials, urging them to cancel NJZ members’ performance."

NJZ's parents continued:

"Chairman Bang, Back in April 2024, we sent a protest email and specifically requested a direct response from you. Yet, to this day, we have received no reply. If you truly have so much to say, why not call us directly instead of reaching out to others?"

The conflict began in late 2024 when NewJeans, a five-member girl group under HYBE's subsidiary ADOR, announced their intention to terminate their exclusive contracts. This decision was reportedly influenced by the dismissal of ADOR's then-CEO, Min Hee-jin.

The members advocated for Min Hee-jin's reinstatement, citing her as a pivotal figure in their careers. When their demands were not met, they chose to leave ADOR in November 2024 and rebrand as NJZ on February 7, 2025.

Subsequently, following the girl group's exit announcement, HYBE faced a significant financial impact, with the company's market capitalization reportedly dropping by over $423 million.

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ADOR filed an injunction and a lawsuit against NJZ (NewJeans) in January 2025 and December 2024, respectively. The first hearing of the injunction will be held at the Seoul Central District Court on March 7, 2025, followed by the lawsuit hearing on April 3, 2025.