On August 27, 2025, Newsen reported that KBS issued an official apology after admitting to airing false statements about NewJeans. The statements were reportedly made during its Success Economy with Lee Dae-ho radio broadcast earlier this month.The guest panelist had claimed that the group’s contract dispute with ADOR was already settled and that they had released an official track under the temporary name NJZ which performed poorly. Both remarks were later confirmed to be inaccurate.KBS clarified that the lawsuit between NewJeans and ADOR is still ongoing and that the NJZ video uploaded on YouTube is not an official release. The broadcaster acknowledged the confusion caused by the statements.According to Newsen, KBS stated:“The new song video that New Jeans uploaded to YouTube while promoting as NJZ is not an official video or officially released song, so the guest’s statement on the broadcast that ‘they released an official song as NJZ’ is also not true.”The broadcaster also expressed regret for spreading misleading information about the group’s activities and popularity."We sincerely apologize to NewJeans, to NewJeans fans, and to our listeners for causing concern and confusion by airing comments that were inconsistent with the facts. Even considering the nature of live radio, which makes real-time fact-checking difficult, greater care should have been taken with the guest’s remarks, and we failed to do so.”The apology followed significant backlash. There were petitions from NewJeans' fans demanding corrections and preventive measures gathered thousands of signatures within days. Many criticized KBS for first posting only a written apology online, calling it insufficient.In response, the broadcaster issued a live correction on August 11 and has since pledged to strengthen its fact-checking process for future broadcasts. KBS promised stricter review systems for interviews, scripts, and panelist comments to ensure no such errors occur again.The broadcaster closed its statement by directly apologizing to NewJeans, their fans, and its listeners for causing concern.NewJeans’ legal battle with ADOR and what lies aheadNewJeans’ dispute with ADOR traces back to late 2024. All five members declared their contracts terminated and attempted to begin independent activities. ADOR, however, filed a lawsuit in January 2025 to confirm the validity of those contracts, per The Korea Herald.The label also secured an injunction preventing the group from signing new advertising deals or releasing music outside the label.Kpop Charts @kchartsmasterLINKThe court has granted ADOR’s request for a preliminary injunction against NewJeans (NJZ) members to preserve the status of the agency and prohibit NJZ the signing of advertising contracts. https://t.co/i1Bjg7Pb7vThe case is still in progress. On August 14, Minji and Danielle appeared in court for a mediation session, but no agreement was reached. A second mediation is scheduled for September 11. If that fails, the Seoul Central District Court is expected to issue a ruling by October 30, as reported by Star News Korea.The outcome could decide whether NewJeans can pursue independent activities or must continue under ADOR’s management.Last year, the members briefly rebranded as NJZ and even performed at an overseas festival. ADOR argued that it violated their contracts. The court sided with the agency and reinforced the injunction. It also ordered damages for unauthorized activities.All NJZ members (Image via Getty)If the court rules in ADOR’s favor, the members would remain bound by their original exclusive contracts, effectively pausing their independent activities. However, if the ruling supports NewJeans, it could mark one of the most significant contract victories for idols in K-pop history.Until then, the group remains in legal limbo, awaiting the mediation in September 2025 and the final court decision expected later this year.