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On February 7, 2025, Xports News reported that HYBE Corporation's LE SSERAFIM will make its comeback in March 2025. The group last released its fourth mini-album, Crazy, in August 2024.
The news of the group's return comes amidst former labelmate NewJeans rebranding themselves as "NJZ" following a legal dispute with their agency, ADOR. The group announced its new name and logo on February 7, 2025, via its official social media channels, signaling a fresh start.
In November 2024, NewJeans members announced their departure from ADOR, citing mistreatment and breaches of contract. ADOR refuted these claims and filed a lawsuit to validate their contracts with the group.
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The simultaneous news of LE SSERAFIM's comeback and NewJeans rebranding itself has sparked a wide range of reactions from fans. LE SSERAFIM's fanbase, known as "FEARNOTs," expressed excitement and anticipation for the group's upcoming activities.
However, several NewJeans' fans, known as Bunnies, claimed that HYBE tried to sabotage NewJeans' March 2025 new music release by dropping LE SSERAFIM's music.
"As soon as NJZ was announced, Hybe announces Le's comeback on March. They really love setting up their artists to fail, with how many times other Hybe artists have coincided with the girls' comebacks," one fan tweeted.
Fans claimed that SSERAFIM's comeback announcement coinciding with NewJeans' rebranding was an attempt by HYBE to sabotage the latter's reputation.
"The way they are making it so obvious atp they couldn’t even wait 24 hrs. They just had to harass NJZ again. We are tired," a fan wrote.
"The thing is I have no problem with le serrafim having a comeback in March. it’s just weird and suspicious how this article is being released right after NJZs confirmed their comeback. It’s barely even been an hour since NJZs made their announcement. This is no hate to le serrafim. I’m just calling out Hybe for being weird again," another fan added.
"Announcing a March comeback for these girls right after NJZ (NewJeans) announced their March release is a very interesting play from HYBE…" another fan stated.
However, FEARNOTs stated that LE SSERAFIM's comeback was teased months ago and had nothing to do with NewJeans' rebranding news.
"Hobi and le sserafim are coming, that means new lesseratan tiktoks challenges," a fan cheered.
"Le sserafim have been rumored to comeback in march since last year, not everything is about your faves," another fan stated.
"Istg if I see anyone accusing them for announcing it today only because njz announced their rebrand today ...we were waiting for a cb announcement exactly today.. LET BOTH THE GIRLS SHINE and SUCCEED..STFV N HAVE FUN ITS NOT THAT SERIOUS (some of y'all need to go to school)," another fan added.
Min Hee-jin & NewJeans vs. HYBE & ADOR: The genesis of the ongoing public feud that dragged LE SSERAFIM
The K-pop industry has been closely following the escalating tensions between Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR, and HYBE Corporation. A significant point of contention in this dispute involves the debut timelines of two prominent girl groups: LE SSERAFIM and NewJeans.
Min Hee-jin, a renowned creative director, joined HYBE in 2019 and later became the CEO of its subsidiary label, ADOR. However, HYBE alleged that Min Hee-jin tried to take over ADOR & the girl group from the company. HYBE sued Min Hee-jin for privacy breach, conspiring with Dunamu and foreign investors to crash HYBE stocks and more.
However, tensions arose when Min Hee-jin accused HYBE of prioritizing the debut of LE SSERAFIM, another girl group under its subsidiary Source Music, ahead of NewJeans. Min Hee-jin expressed feelings of betrayal over this decision, believing it undermined her efforts and the potential success of her group.
In an April 2024 press conference, Min Hee-jin revealed her displeasure with HYBE's decision to debut LE SSERAFIM before NewJeans. She claimed that HYBE's CEO, Park Ji-won, requested that she not promote NewJeans until after LE SSERAFIM's debut.
According to Min Hee-jin, Park Ji-won suggested that the public should associate her with LE SSERAFIM to boost the group's image, a strategy she vehemently opposed.
Amid ongoing tension, the ADOR independent board of directors fired Min Hee-jin as the label's CEO and replaced her with Kim Joo-young on August 27, 2024. Due to NewJeans' demands following their surprise YouTube livestream, ADOR re-hired Min Hee-jin as the internal director on October 17. However, the label refused to reinstate her as the CEO.
Feeling marginalized, Min Hee-jin reportedly threatened to resign and expose the company's internal conflicts. She also highlighted that the parents of NewJeans' members were concerned about the situation, fearing it would negatively impact their daughters' careers.
On November 20, 2024, Min Hee-jin resigned as ADOR's internal director and HYBE's shareholder. The discord between Min Hee-jin and HYBE had broader implications, leading to a legal dispute between NewJeans and ADOR.
On November 28, 2024, NewJeans members announced their intention to terminate their contracts with ADOR, citing mistreatment and breaches of agreement. ADOR refuted these claims, leading to a protracted legal battle.
While LE SSERAFIM was not directly involved in the feud, the group's debut became a focal point in the conflict between Min Hee-jin and HYBE. Min Hee-jin's allegations suggested that HYBE used her reputation to promote LE SSERAFIM, potentially at the expense of NewJeans. According to Min, this strategy delayed NewJeans' debut and created internal strife within the company.
The feud had significant implications for HYBE. Following NewJeans' announcement to leave ADOR, HYBE's market capitalization reportedly dropped by over $420 million, reflecting investor concerns about the company's internal conflicts and the potential loss of a profitable group.
As the legal battles continue, the first court injunction hearing for ADOR vs. NewJeans is scheduled for March 7, 2025, and the lawsuit hearing against the girl group is scheduled for April 3, 2025.
