Team Bunnies support NewJean's decision to end its contract with Ador
NewJeans' fandom “Team Bunnies,” announced Wednesday that its 30,000 members had submitted a petition to the court to urge it to dismiss Ador’s injunction request filed in January to maintain its management rights over the girl group.
Ador is the disputed former agency of NewJeans, now rebranded as NJZ, after the members unilaterally terminated their exclusive contracts in November 2024.
“Fans fully support the members’ decision to end their contracts, as we believe they were deliberately mistreated by Hybe (parent company of Ador) and its chairman Bang Si-hyuk,” Team Bunnies said in the press statement. “We are deeply concerned that such a hostile environment will not change.”
Fans also pointed out the members’ young ages — Minji and Hanni at 20, Danielle at 19, Haerin at 18, and Hyein at 16 — stressing that forcing them to stay in an unbearable work environment would be unjust.
“A seven-year contract is a significant portion of a K-pop idol’s life,” the fandom added. “It is cruel to trap these young artists in an agency they can no longer trust, especially when one of them is still a minor.”
The fans also criticized Ador’s alleged media play which they claim has harmed the group’s reputation.
“Just one day after NJZ's second anniversary, old training videos of the members were leaked to the local media outlet without their consent, causing them unnecessary harm,” Team Bunnies said.
Ultimately, the NJZ’s fandom argued that forcing the members to continue working under Ador would only prolong their suffering.
“Forcing them to work in a toxic environment will only extend their pain. Please allow them to pursue music in a safe and supportive setting,” the fandom said.
Meanwhile, major music production organizations have voiced concerns that the members' termination of their contracts with Ador could destabilize the industry.
Last month, five major groups — the Korea Management Association, Korea Entertainment Producers Association, Korea Music Label Industry Association, Korea Record Industry Association, and Korea Music Content Association — held a press conference to highlight the importance of contracts in the K-pop industry.
“A unilateral contract termination followed by independent activities by NewJeans undermines the credibility of exclusive contracts,” the organization said on Feb. 27. “This is an extremely dangerous move, and the legal system must determine the validity of these claims.”
The Seoul Central District Court held its first hearing of Ador's injunction case on March 7. The court is set to review additional documents until Friday before making a final decision.
jaaykim@heraldcorp.com
