A male stalker in his 20s has been indicted for illegally breaking into K-pop girl group NewJeans‘ dormitory. The sasaeng (as K-pop jargon recognises such obsessive fans) in questioned being referred to as Defendant A was facing charges of trespassing and theft. With the Seoul Western District Court’s 9th Division holding a trial on Wednesday, prosecutors requested a 10-month prison sentence.
The latest headline surrounding NewJeans’ name comes amid the K-pop act’s ongoing legal tussle with its former agency ADOR, a subsidiary label of HYBE. Fortunately, the trespassing incident tied to their dorm took place in the girls’ absence. All members moved out a month prior to what could have transpired into a real-life nightmare after announcing their contract termination.
‘Defendant A’ is said to have first unlawfully entered the NewJeans accomodation in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on December 18, 2024. Once he confirmed that the dorm’s door was open, he returned days later. On December 21, he finally came in and stole clothes hangers and banners, while also filming the residence and eventually uploading the video online.
K-pop sasaeng addresses NewJeans
The NewJeans sasaeng’s lawyer acknowledged all the charges, admitting that his client deserved criticism. At the same time, they requested for leniency, noting that ‘A’ was “remorseful… and cooperated fully with the investigation.” The attorney also highlighted that it was the defendant’s first offense, and so, there was a very low chance of such conduct being repeated again. “They did not believe taking the items after the group had moved out would constitute theft,” said the legal rep.
Even the stalker in question echoed the same sentiments. Admitting to his reckless mistake, he addressed NewJeans in a tearful apology: “I deeply apologise to the artist I admire and to the agency for causing pain.” In his statement, ‘A’ also urged the officials to grant him a second chance so that he could pursue his dream of becoming a civil servant. “I will live responsibly while taking care of my ailing mother,” he continued.
NewJeans ADOR conflict ongoing
This case with a NewJeans fan at the centre comes amid the ongoing contractual dispute between the quintet and HYBE’s subsidiary ADOR. On November 28, 2024, the K-pop act announced at an emergency press conference that they would be terminating their exclusive contracts with the agency.
“ADOR does not have the will or ability to protect NewJeans. If we remain here, it will be a waste of our time, and our mental distress will continue. More than anything, there is nothing that we can gain in terms of our work, so the five of us think that there is no reason at all for us to remain at ADOR,” the members argued at the time.
The very next day, a statement, which formally announced the contract termination, was released. Since then, the NewJeans-ADOR saga has only worsened with the latter eventually filing a lawsuit against the artists, as their “exclusive contract cannot be unilaterally terminated based solely on the claims of one side.” Shortly after that, NewJeans issued a press statement, claiming that they only found out about the legal case through media headlines.
The situation spiralled even further when ADOR filed an injunction against the idols. Their January 2025 filing reportedly stated: “Allowing unilateral terminations of exclusive contracts and independent activities without legal procedures could undermine investment in the entertainment industry and destabilize the K-pop sector.”
In February, NewJeans announced that they would be rebranding their group identity by adopting the new name, NJZ. And once again, ADOR pushed back against the claims due to its legal repercussions. “We worry that announcing an unauthorized new group name or engaging in entertainment activities before a legal judgment is reached… could constitute a material breach of the exclusive agency contract,” the company said.
A month later, the once-undeniably-popular girl group announced a temporary hiatus as Seoul Central District Court sided with their company on the initial injunction filing. Despite having rejected the offer the arrive at a settlement with ADOR, the K-pop group surprisingly announced they would be releasing never-before-seen content on June 12. The major shakeup further complicates the back-and-forth between the group and their agency, especially since NewJeans’ indefinite hiatus is still in place.
NewJeans vs aespa
While this shocking move may have signalled progress in the positive direction, Apple Korea’s latest team-up with aespa hints at another loss for NewJeans. The quintet collaborated with the global brand in 2023. As part of an ad campaign, the girls’ “ETA” video was filmed with the iPhone 14 Pro. In light of the K-pop act’s legal confrontation with its agency and an uncertain future, Apple Korea went with aespa (seen as NewJeans’ rivals) instead for this year’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign, which will see the performance video of the SM Entertainment group’s latest song “Dirty Work” being shot entirely on the iPhone 16 Pro.