"They are still under ador" — Internet divided as NewJeans made their first individual activity at YOASOBI concert amid contract termination dispute

Rising K-pop sensation NewJeans got embroiled in a legal dispute following the termination of their contracts with ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE. The group announced on November 29, 2024, that they had officially ended their agreements, citing breaches of trust, mismanagement, and inadequate support from the agency.

The move came amid allegations of strained relationships between the group and the agency's parent company, HYBE, as well as lingering controversies involving former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.

Meanwhile, on December 7, 2024, the girl group performed their first stage at YAOSABI's concert post their exit from ADOR. However, they withheld from using their name "NewJeans" throughout. The girls censored the group name on the back of their t-shirts, resulting in the clip going viral online.

The internet had a mixed reaction to the clip as fans felt sorry for the girl group, while others underscored the legality and the consequences of using a copyrighted name amidst an ongoing dispute.

"they are still under ador, they didn’t file a lawsuit to terminate so what you yapping about," one fan wrote.

Fans were "devastated" to see the group censoring the name and also restraining from using it during their introduction and more.

"NOT AT THEM CENSORED “NEWJEANS” NAME ON THE BACK OF THEIR SHIRTS???! OK" one fan noted.

"The censoring of the NewJeans name is so crazy. This is so devastating I just cannot wait for them to finally be able to reclaim their OWN name," another fan wrote.

"They even censored the word ‘NewJeans’ at the back of their shirts," another fan added.

Others pointed out that they are still legally under ADOR, as the contract termination requires mutual agreement from both parties. Hence using the name amidst an ongoing dispute will result in them facing a copyright infringement.

"Technically this isn’t true. Legally newjeans is still under contract with Hybe until their request to terminate has been approved. Yes they may have SAID they are leaving the company but Hybe is fighting to keep them. So technically they are still under hybe," one fan wrote.

"I don't think the fans are being fair in defending NewJeans at this point. The company has requested a meeting with them, but they keep declining to meet with the company. Is it not better to have a meeting with the company? If they do not come to a reasonable agreement, then -" another netizen wrote.

"Theyre not continuing wo the company they're under a contract, if they were actually continuing wo ador then they're gonna have to pay ador and hybe lmao," another netized added.

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NewJeans faces legal battle over name after contract termination with ADOR and HYBE

NewJeans claimed their decision to sever ties stemmed from repeated grievances over ADOR’s handling of their career. According to the group’s legal representatives, ADOR failed to uphold key contractual obligations, including providing a safe working environment and transparent communication regarding their creative direction and schedules.

This dispute allegedly escalated after former CEO Min Hee-jin’s sudden departure in August 2024. Min Hee-jin was removed as the CEO by ADOR's board on August 27, following her breach of privacy dispute with HYBE.

On October 17, Newsen reported that Min Hee-jin was re-hired as the label's inside director, after she fought to get back her position via a court injunction. On November 20, she abruptly announced her resignation from ADOR and HYBE. Her exit reportedly created instability within the agency, which the Attention girl group claimed directly impacted their work.

On November 29, Billboard reported that the group emphasized their intention to continue pursuing music despite the legal hurdles. A joint statement from the girl group members read:

“Once we leave ADOR, we’ll aim to proceed freely with the activities that we really desire. We really wish to be able to release new music for Bunnies, next year, as soon as possible, whenever. We really hope that we have the opportunity to meet you guys from all around the world.”

The girl group declared that they will continue performing and promoting under their current group name. However, this assertion sparked a legal debate, as ADOR holds the intellectual property rights to the name and associated trademarks.

South Korean copyright law generally grants agencies ownership of group names and branding, leaving former artists unable to use them without permission. GMA Network reported that ADOR filed an injunction on December 5, 2024, to prevent the group from performing as a group under the same name, claiming trademark infringement.

However, on December 3, NME reported that sources close to Min Hee-jin suggested that she allegedly advised the group during their legal battle. Reportedly, she met NewJeans' Hanni a day before the latter's appearance at the National Assembly Audit (October 15, 2024).

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Meanwhile, if NewJeans is barred from using their group name, they may be forced to rebrand or face legal and financial consequences for copyright infringement.