On April 13, 2025, Kbizoom reported that the fan club of NewJeans (NJZ) issued a public apology. This statement addressed their earlier spread of vicious and hateful comments directed at Kim Joo-young, the CEO of ADOR. Additionally, the fan club acknowledged their failure to effectively moderate these harmful comments, sharing their apology on the widely-used Korean forum, Women’s Generation.
This revelation comes against the backdrop of ongoing controversies surrounding the management of NewJeans, igniting a dialogue about the responsibility of fans within the K-pop industry.
“It was an inexcusable wrongdoing for members of our forum to post insulting comments… We now deeply reflect on the fact that, in doing so, we may have easily inflicted harm on others.”
In their follow-up, they expressed:
“Using excessively harsh and offensive language toward the CEO of ADOR is absolutely unacceptable. We sincerely apologize to the individual involved. Regardless of the legal implications, these comments cannot be justified. We will accept any consequences.”
Analyzing the NewJeans-ADOR Conflict: A Look at K-Pop’s Internal Struggles
The discord within the K-pop landscape began in April 2024, when HYBE Corporation launched an internal audit of ADOR’s CEO, Min Hee-jin. As the parent company, HYBE cited concerns about an alleged power grab by Min Hee-jin, suggesting a breach of corporate trust.
In response, Min Hee-jin vehemently denied these accusations, defending herself in a press conference the same month. She accused HYBE of discrimination and claimed they were sabotaging the success of NewJeans by replicating their unique concepts for other acts under their label.
Over the following months, tensions escalated significantly. In August 2024, Min Hee-jin was ousted from her position as CEO of ADOR. NewJeans voiced their displeasure through a YouTube livestream, which was subsequently removed, yet their demands for Min Hee-jin’s reinstatement were clearly articulated.
Hanni, a member of NewJeans, publicly detailed experiences of workplace harassment and the lack of organizational support in October 2024. The situation reached a breaking point in November 2024 when the group announced their departure from ADOR following the refusal to reinstate Min Hee-jin.
In February 2025, the group rebranded themselves as NJZ and announced their forthcoming performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong on March 23 as independent artists.
Meanwhile, ADOR took legal action in December 2024 to assert the validity of their contracts, followed by an injunction in January 2025, aimed at preventing the group from conducting independent activities. On March 21, 2025, ADOR secured the injunction, restricting the group from pursuing independent projects. Nevertheless, they allowed a performance under the NewJeans name rather than NJZ at ComplexCon.
In a surprising move, NJZ announced a hiatus during ComplexCon Hong Kong to protest the court’s decision. Reports suggest that ADOR’s staff lost contact with the group upon their arrival in Hong Kong. Compounding this situation, NJZ also sold merchandise and released a new single titled “Pit Stop”while there.
The next court hearing regarding the legal disputes between ADOR and NewJeans concerning contract validity is scheduled for June 5, 2025.