"It can be considered a severe breach of contract" — ADOR issues statement as NewJeans announces a new temporary group name contest

ADOR, the label home of K-pop sensation NewJeans, issued a worded statement condemning the group's recent announcement of a new temporary group name contest. Osen reported on January 23, 2025, that the statement asserted that this move constituted a "severe breach of contract" and highlighted the ongoing legal dispute between the two parties.

"ADOR's position is that the exclusive contract (with New Jeans) is valid, and we are faithfully cooperating with the court proceedings. We regret that the members are attempting to pursue independent entertainment activities, such as soliciting new stage names, before receiving legal judgment, as this could be a serious breach of contract."

In their statement, ADOR emphasized the validity of the existing contracts between the label and the members of NewJeans. They argued that the group's actions directly contravene these agreements and undermine the label's rights and interests.

This move came after NewJeans posted a temporary group name contest on January 23, 2025, on their secondary Instagram account @jeanzforfree, where they asked for suggestions from fans for their new group name. The contest will conclude on January 25, 2025, at night.

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NewJeans members assert they will never return to ADOR

NewJeans, one of the most successful K-pop groups in recent years, unilaterally terminated their exclusive contracts with ADOR on November 28, 2024, citing "major contract violations" and demanding corrective actions. The group has since been actively pursuing independent activities, including the aforementioned name contest.

Following NewJeans' contract termination, ADOR filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court in December 2024, seeking legal confirmation of the contracts' validity. The court has yet to issue a ruling on the matter. Additionally, the girls cannot use the existent group name as its copyrights belong to ADOR and HYBE.

On January 23, 2025, Sports Chosun reported that the girl group claimed that ADOR and HYBE "have been constantly harassing and attacking" them since their contract termination. The girls said:

"ADOR and HYBE have been constantly harassing and attacking us like before, telling us to come back, but away from the public eye, they have been meeting with some of our parents in secret to try to persuade them or cause discord.

The group added:

"The five of us have absolutely no intention of returning to HYBE and ADOR, from whom we cannot even expect the bare minimum of trust. Even after the termination of our exclusive contracts, we wanted to finish the remaining schedules and contracts amicably without any disputes as much as possible, and we hoped that no one would be harmed."

NewJeans claimed that if ADOR and HYBE wouldn't respect their contract termination decision then they would reveal the company's alleged wrongdoings.

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It is important to note that the girl group still has three more years left with ADOR and HYBE as per their existing contracts. As per ADOR's lawsuit against the group, if the court sides with the label, then the girl group would have to pay a hefty penalty amounting to $278 million.