ADOR Gets Ridiculed After Announcing Legal Action To Protect NewJeans

On December 27, KST, ADOR posted a long notice announcing legal action to protect NewJeans against violations of their artist rights.

In the notification, the label updated fans about their previous legal action against “malicious activities,” such as “defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the dissemination of false information, and ill-intentioned criticism.”

As a result of our previous efforts, several perpetrators have faced legal penalties for their criminal actions. The Supreme Court has finalized a fine of several million won against individuals who fabricated, distributed and/or sold explicit photos by manipulating the artists’ images. Additionally, multiple fines have been imposed on individuals responsible for heinous and defamatory comments. We also confirm that several individuals who posted malicious content anonymously have been identified, and police investigations, as well as legal proceedings are actively in progress.

— ADOR

The label also informed fans that it had gathered evidence of “activities infringing upon the rights” of NewJeans and had reported them to the relevant authorities. Notably, ADOR mentioned that among those who were reported were people who made derogatory posts mocking the artists’ nationality and appearance,” as well as comments that sexually harassed or objectified them.

This specific example implied that ADOR had taken legal action on behalf of NewJeans as recently as last week when Hanni’s visa issues were made public, leading to hate comments and real-life harassment. The company concluded the notice, saying, “We are always grateful for your love and support for NewJeans. We remain dedicated to safeguarding the rights of our artists.”

However, this notification has provoked scathing criticism from Korean netizens, who felt that NewJeans primarily needed to be protected from HYBE, ADOR’s parent company.

• “These people are really shameless.”
• “What’s all this when you guys are the ones making the malicious comments?”
• “Just slap yourselves across the face. That’ll do.”

• “If they sue the people violating their artists’ rights, then wouldn’t they end up meeting all the HYBE executives at the police station?”
• “It seems like they’re talking about protecting their artists only to use it later. I’m not falling for it.”

This notification has also made it clear that despite the group announcing the termination of their exclusive contracts with ADOR, the label has no intentions of backing off without a legal fight. You can read more about the backstory here.