K-pop group NewJeans has lost a legal battle to leave its record label Ador.

A South Korean court on Tuesday ruled that the act’s contract with the label, which runs until 2029, remains valid.

The group’s five members – Hanni, Hyein, Haerin, Danielle and Minji – announced last year that they were unilaterally leaving the agency, citing mistreatment and manipulation.

The group has said it will appeal the ruling, according to local media reports.

Tuesday’s ruling follows a year-long standoff between the chart-topping group and its agency.

The group’s dramatic announcement, which was made in November last year during a press conference, came after a long and public spat between the group’s mentor Min Hee-ji, and Ador, as well as its parent company, Hybe – South Korea’s biggest music label, whose client list includes K-pop royalty such as BTS and Seventeen.

The case stunned South Korea where record labels wield large amounts of power and tightly control their stars. It is highly unusual for bands to rebel against them.

Tensions between Min and Hybe started in April 2024, when Hybe launched audits into Ador, which was then managed by Min, while calling her to step down.

Min rejected Hybe’s allegations that she was plotting to go independent. In August, she was dismissed as the CEO of Ador.

The band soon issued an ultimatum demanding that Min be reinstated. When Hybe refused, the members went public with a series of complaints against the label, including claims it had deliberately undermined their careers.

One of the group’s members, Hanni, also alleged that she suffered workplace harassment while working with the label.

As the disputes continued, the group’s five members attemped to rebrand themselves as NJZ in March. They released a new song and performed at a show in Hong Kong, before their independent activities were halted by a court order.