Adore, the management company for the K-pop group NewJeans, has signaled that it will take legal action against malicious posts and deepfake content. On November 17, the agency announced on its official fan platform Weverse that it has been monitoring online communities, music sites, and SNS channels to protect the artists’ rights, and will promptly request deletions and pursue strict legal action. It added that this firm stance will apply to overseas platforms without exception.

Adore emphasized that the seriousness of malicious posts, privacy invasions, and abusive language has grown, and said it has brought in additional staff to intensify monitoring. The agency said that this month it will file criminal complaints against individuals who posted malicious content on sites such as Naver News, DC Inside, Instiz, TheQoo, NatePann, MLB Park, and TheQoo, and that further charges could be pursued based on ongoing monitoring results.

Regarding deepfake crimes, Adore stressed that it will respond even more strictly, noting that some perpetrators had sought settlements, which were declined, and that investigators have been informed of Adore’s intent to pursue severe penalties. The agency also said it is actively cooperating with authorities to crack down on deepfake crimes against the artists.

Separately, NewJeans had been at odds with Adore since November 2024, after founder Min Hee-jin resigned and the group announced that their exclusive contract would end on November 29, 2024, and that they would operate independently.

Adore subsequently filed a lawsuit in December 2024 to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract. A month later, ahead of the first-instance ruling, Adore sought a provisional injunction to recognize Adore’s status as the agency and to block members from engaging in activities such as advertising contracts without Adore’s approval; the court granted this request.

On October 30, in the first-instance ruling on the exclusive-contract validity, the court sided with Adore and affirmed that the contract remains in effect. On December 12, Adore announced that Harin and Hyein expressed their intention to continue activities with Adore, stating that after careful consideration with their families and discussions with Adore, they would respect the court’s ruling and honor the contract.

That night, the remaining members Minji, Hanni, and Daniel issued statements that they would return to Adore after careful consultation; Adore said it was assessing their intentions. On December 13, Adore said it would coordinate individual meetings with the members to facilitate productive talks.