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On March 25, 2025, the Ministry of Employment and Labor dismissed all workplace allegation charges against ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young as groundless and unfounded. This decision marks the third such case involving ADOR to be deemed unfounded by labor authorities.
The controversy began when a NewJeans manager, Mr. A, alleged that he was unexpectedly issued a suspension notice during a work meeting and was immediately asked to return his company laptop. The person claimed that they felt coerced and mistreated. Mr. A filed a formal complaint against CEO Kim Joo-young with the Ministry of Employment and Labor in December 2024.
Following a thorough investigation, the Seoul regional office of the Ministry concluded that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate workplace harassment claims. This outcome aligns with previous rulings where similar allegations against the label's management were also dismissed.
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This series of legal disputes has unfolded against the backdrop of broader tensions between NewJeans and the label. In late 2024, NewJeans members publicly supported their former label CEO, Min Hee-jin, after she was fired. This led to a series of events that included live-streamed grievances and legal actions.
NewJeans (NJZ) announces hiatus at ComplexCon without ADOR's consent
On March 23, 2025, NewJeans took the stage at ComplexCon in Hong Kong. After their performance, the girl group announced their decision to go on hiatus out of respect for a court decision.
The group headlined ComplexCon, hosted at the AsiaWorld-Expo Arena in Hong Kong, and drew in over 11,000 fans excited to see the group perform live for the first time in almost a year.
Their entire set lasted one hour and included a live performance of a new unreleased song, Pit Stop. They premiered the song under the group's new name, NJZ. All the members wore outfits featuring NJZ. Furthermore, NJZ merchandise was available for purchase on-site.
It is important to note that Hybe's ADOR label did not originally sanction or approve the group's appearance at ComplexCon. However, after winning the court injunction, the label granted NJZ permission to perform.
This decision followed a Seoul Central District Court injunction granted on March 21, 2025, which prohibited the members from engaging in independent activities without ADOR's consent.
However, the label had ordered the group to collectively not use their new name, "NJZ," for the appearance. Reportedly, the label was not able to even reach any members of the girl group once the girls landed in Hong Kong on March 23. In addition, they performed ad NJZ and sold merchandise with NJZ against the court order.
After their ComplexCon performance, NJZ addressed the audience to announce a temporary hiatus. Member Hanni conveyed:
"It is really hard for us to say this, but this might be our last performance for a little while. Out of respect for the court's decision, we've decided to pause all our activities for now. It wasn't an easy decision, but we believe this is something we need to do at this moment."
The conflict between NewJeans and ADOR traces back to November 2024, when the members sought to terminate their exclusive contracts. They claimed breaches related to artist protection and creative direction.
