April 3 marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal battle between NJZ, formerly known as NewJeans, and their former agency, ADOR. NJZ’s loss in the injunction hearing, which restricted their ability to work independently, was seen as a major setback for NJZ, though they’ve since appealed, and their ComplexCon performance only heightened the anticipation for this day. Now, the Seoul Central District Court has become the most recent stage for this fight.
The NJZ members, who had previously appeared at their injunction hearing despite not being required to, were not present at today’s hearing. Instead, it was the two sides’ lawyers who faced off in court.
In this first court proceedings, according to reports on the case, ADOR argued that the contract was still valid, despite NJZ members’ unilateral announcement of contract termination (NoCut News, 2025).
When asked by the presiding judge, Judge Jeong Hoe-il, if a settlement was possible, NJZ’s lawyers stated it would not be, due in part to the mental toll this case has taken on NJZ’s members, while ADOR seemed willing to find a settlement option.
The case continued with ADOR claiming that former ADOR CEO Min He-jin, who was ousted from the role of CEO, left the company of her own volition, while NJZ stated that though many of the issues began with Min He-jin’s removal, they were not in fact limited to such an action, and that ADOR is not even reflective of the ADOR they were welcomed into when they signed their contract agreement.
The judge cited the uniqueness of the case and spoke to the “abstract” nature of trust (Korea Herald, 2025).
NJZ (Source: ComplexCon Hong Kong)
