NewJeans attended the 9th Asia Artist Awards (AAA 2024) on December 27 at the Impact Challenger Hall in Bangkok, Thailand. The group impressed fans with their performance and won three major awards, including 'Artist of the Year', marking their third consecutive year as a triple crown winner.

Meanwhile, ADOR has requested that media outlets continue to use the group’s official name, NewJeans, instead of NJZ.

In a statement, ADOR explained, "The members of NewJeans have announced plans to operate under a name that was not agreed upon with ADOR, causing confusion among reporters. The exclusive contract between the NewJeans members and ADOR is still legally valid. Claims of contract termination are unilateral."

The company continued, "We have filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the contract and are seeking an injunction to maintain ADOR’s position as the group’s management. We respectfully request that reporters use the official team name, 'NewJeans', which is based on the valid contract."

They emphasized the importance of exclusive contracts in the entertainment industry, urging for accurate reporting and media cooperation. "We are doing our best to resolve the confusion quickly and to deliver great music and content to fans," the statement concluded.

The controversy stems from NewJeans' announcement on February 7 that they had changed their group name to NJZ. The group revealed plans to release a new song under the name NJZ on March 23 and participate in ComplexCon in Hong Kong. During a live broadcast, member Minji shared, "We will reveal our debut track as NJZ on March 23. I'm both excited and nervous." Hyein added, "As NJZ, we’ll continue to show something new, just as we always have."

Meanwhile, ADOR filed a lawsuit on December 3, 2024, with the Seoul Central District Court to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract with NewJeans. Additionally, on January 13, 2025, they sought an injunction to prevent the group from signing separate advertising deals. The first hearing is scheduled for March 7.

Full statement from ADOR:

Hello, this is ADOR.

We would like to address the recent confusion regarding the use of the group name NewJeans.

On February 7, the members of NewJeans announced plans to operate under a new name that was not agreed upon with ADOR, causing confusion among reporters and prompting multiple inquiries.

The exclusive contract between NewJeans and ADOR remains legally valid, and claims of termination are unilateral.

We have filed a lawsuit to confirm the contract's validity and are seeking an injunction to maintain ADOR’s position as the group's management.

We kindly request that reporters use the official team name, 'NewJeans', based on the valid contract, when writing articles. We trust that you, as members of the press who understand the significance of exclusive contracts in the entertainment industry, will help ensure accurate reporting.

We are working hard to resolve this confusion quickly and to continue providing great music and content.

Thank you.

SEE ALSO: What are K-netizens saying about NewJeans' name change to NJZ?