‘Too Harsh’—NJZ Fandom Submits Petition to Court Supporting Members

The fandom of NJZ (NewJeans) has taken legal action in support of the group's independent activities.

On March 13, the NewJeans fan union "Bunnies" announced that they had submitted a petition to the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Agreement Division 50 (Presiding Judge Kim Sang-hoon). The petition, signed by approximately 30,000 domestic and international fans, was collected through a signature campaign that began on February 24.

Fans Accuse HYBE and Bang Si-hyuk of Favoritism

In the petition, Bunnies claimed that HYBE and its chairman, Bang Si-hyuk, had deliberately discriminated against certain NewJeans members, forcing them to operate in a hostile environment. The fan group asserted that NJZ members should not be tied to the agency under such unfair conditions and expressed their full support for their independent activities.

"Forcing the members to continue exclusive activities in an environment where trust has been broken not only inflicts pain on them but also negatively impacts their fans," the petition stated. Fans further emphasized that they could no longer enjoy NewJeans’ music and promotions under these circumstances and urged the court to reject ADOR’s injunction request.

Ongoing Legal Battle Between NewJeans and ADOR

The petition follows ADOR’s legal actions against NJZ members after they announced their contract termination and began operating independently. The label has filed an injunction request with the court, seeking to maintain its status as the official agency and prohibit the members from signing independent advertisement deals.

The court is set to close hearings after receiving additional documents by March 14, after which a decision is expected.

Meanwhile, controversy arose when some fans were allegedly offering prizes to encourage petition signatures. However, Bunnies denied any involvement, stating via their official channels that the fan union was not affiliated with any such events.