32 Prominent Korean Figures File Petition Opposing NJZ’s (NewJeans) Activity Ban

NJZ is facing huge backlash after their agency ADOR banned all their entertainment activities during an ongoing contract lawsuit.

The controversy began when the court forbade NJZ members from working until a final ruling on their contracts is made.

Now, 32 activists and intellectuals from both left and right wings have joined forces. They submitted a petition to the court and government demanding the ban be lifted.

Notable signatories include National Assembly member Son Hye Won, Catholic University professor Sung Ki Sun, former Reform New Party member Cho Dae Won, ex-ambassador Kim Do Hyun, and Mediawatch CEO Byun Hee Jae.

NJZ in court

On October 22, they slammed the South Korean entertainment industry’s lack of artist protection compared to the US. They call out the Ministry of Culture’s standard contracts for tying artists to agencies for up to seven years, with obligations only on the artists.

“Unlike the United States, an advanced nation in the entertainment industry, South Korea lacks a ‘public agency’ system to protect the legal interests of entertainers. Moreover, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s standard contract itself is problematic, as it ties an artist’s entire livelihood to a single agency for as long as seven years while imposing obligations solely on the entertainer.”
— Petition statement

The petition also pointed out Bang Si Hyuk and HYBE’s huge investment in ADOR and NJZ since their debut in July 2022, noting the artists have no room to renegotiate or go free-agent in Korea like in the US.

“In a case like this, if it were in the United States, where certified agencies manage such contracts, the artists would have been able to secure the right to either obtain free-agent status through an opt-out clause or renegotiate their contracts.”
— Petition statement

Political commentator Kim Sung Soo and Mediawatch CEO Byun Hee Jae reportedly submitted a separate petition to the Seoul court handling the case. They asked for a “Solomon-like solution,” referencing a 1996 baseball player trade ruling as a balanced precedent.

The signers urged a fair verdict to avoid blocking artists’ careers by one-sided court decisions. They also called on the government to intervene and prevent similar bans in the future.

“We ask that the government step in at the national level and, through broad social consensus and mediation, prevent a situation in which the members’ desired activities are fundamentally banned due to one court decision rooted in an incorrect standard contract…We hope that serious consideration will be given to adopting the American-style certified agency system as a fundamental solution to the frequent contract disputes and conflicts between entertainers and agencies — an issue that seems to occur only in South Korea.”
— Petition statement

The petition was sent to senior government officials including Woo Sang Ho at the Presidential Office, culture secretaries, and the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 41.

The final ruling on NJZ’s contract with ADOR is set for October 30. Fans and industry watchers are closely monitoring the situation.

Activists Petition
Activists and intellectuals supporting NJZ