NewJeans to Drop Team Name and Embark on Independent Activities; ADOR Reponds

The conflict between the girl group NewJeans and their agency, ADOR, has deepened as the group announced plans to drop their current name and adopt a new one.

On the 23rd, NewJeans revealed through their newly launched social media account, jeanzforfree, that they were accepting fan suggestions for a temporary activity name over the course of two days.

In response, ADOR told Ilgan Sports, "ADOR maintains the position that the exclusive contract remains valid and is faithfully following the court procedures." They further expressed regret, stating, "Attempting independent activities before a legal ruling could constitute a serious breach of contract."

Last November, NewJeans held an emergency press conference to announce the termination of their exclusive contract and their decision to part ways with the agency. At the time, member Hyein stated, "We might not be able to use the name NewJeans for a while, regardless of our intentions." Since then, the members have been pursuing individual activities under their real names.

On the same day, NewJeans declared their intent to take legal action against ADOR’s petition to prohibit the group from maintaining agency status and signing advertisement deals.

NewJeans stated, "The five of us have no intention of returning to HYBE or ADOR, where even the minimum level of trust cannot be expected," reaffirming their firm stance.