NewJeans Faces Off Against ADOR and HYBE Over Hong Kong Event Dispute

The group claiming to be NJZ, known as NewJeans, is in conflict with ADOR and HYBE ahead of a Hong Kong event. NewJeans alleges that HYBE's Chairman Bang Si-hyuk exerted pressure to prevent their performance, a claim ADOR denies.

On the 19th, NewJeans' parents took to official social media to state, "We recently heard from a ComplexCon representative that HYBE's Chairman Bang Si-hyuk personally called American contacts to urge the cancellation of NJZ members' performance."

ADOR has dismissed the allegations regarding the cancellation of NewJeans' performance. ADOR stated, "We have never urged the cancellation of NewJeans' Hong Kong performance. Chairman Bang Si-hyuk has confirmed he made no contact regarding this event." They added, "ADOR requested the organizers to use the official team name 'NewJeans' and to conduct the performance through ADOR based on the exclusive contract."

Earlier, five music organizations, including the Korea Management Federation and the Korea Entertainment Producers Association, criticized the name change and unauthorized activities of NewJeans, highlighting growing confusion in the K-pop industry.

In response, NewJeans' parents argued, "The associations' claims suggest that only by operating exclusive contracts like slave contracts can the K-pop industry avoid collapse. This issue is a dispute between a specific agency and its artist, not something affecting the entire K-pop industry."

They further stated, "HYBE has openly discriminated against, attacked, and attempted to sideline the members, while ADOR, a HYBE label, lacked the ability or willingness to prevent this. They even tried to undermine NewJeans' career, as seen in the case with Dolphin Kidnapping. Unable to endure any longer, we terminated the exclusive contract, which is legally effective immediately, thus ending the contract with ADOR."