The legal drama surrounding NewJeans, the K-pop rebels: "They were very brave to report workplace harassment."

There are several travel agencies that offer a K-pop tour of Seoul. This can start in Gangnam, the Beverly Hills of South Korea referenced by rapper PSY's smash hit "Gangnam Style ," which, for many, is the origin of the global cultural phenomenon of the Korean Wave ( Hallyu ). This luxury district is home to the famous K-Star Street , where the offices of major record labels and entertainment companies are concentrated. There's also a sort of walk of fame with 17 bear statues honoring the industry's most important groups, from the groundbreaking BTS, the first South Koreans to top the Billboard album charts, to Blackpink. There's also a bear dedicated to NewJeans, the rebellious girls.

Hanni, Hyein, Haerin, Danielle, and Minji, the five faces of NewJeans, were sweeping the charts late last year when they shocked their fans by launching an unusual challenge to the powerful K-pop industry. They decided to break with Ador, the label that propelled them to stardom, and accused its management of workplace harassment and trying to undermine their careers. The parent company, Hybe, denied everything and sued the group to honor a seven-year contract, valid until 2029. It was the beginning of a legal battle that turned into a long soap opera under intense media scrutiny.

The K-pop trail through Seoul can continue through the parks along the Han River, which runs through the capital and has been the setting for many K-pop music videos. In the heart of the capital, there's a six-story theme park dedicated to the phenomenon, built by SM Entertainment, one of the country's largest music companies. Around Myeongdong, the epicenter of South Korean cosmetics, there are several schools that teach choreography to the most popular songs and themed cafes. In the same neighborhood, there's also a huge underground shopping center for all kinds of K-pop products.

One of those stores has a corner full of diaries, notebooks, and calendars with photos of the NewJeans members. "They've been very brave to report the workplace harassment they've suffered and try to pursue their careers on their own," says Chloe, a young woman who came into the store to buy a gift for a friend. "Many people don't agree with what NewJeans are doing. They signed a contract and they have to respect it . And since they've had problems with each other and their bosses, they started saying they were treated badly to see if that would gain a lot of support from K-pop fans and get their way. But their strategy of playing the victim didn't work. They've damaged their own image," says Kim, the store clerk.

The covers of the diaries sold in this K-pop paradise feature a profile picture of Hanni, the 20-year-old who made headlines late last year for appearing before the National Assembly, South Korea's parliament, in the first parliamentary commission held in the Asian country to study workplace harassment within the K-pop world.

Lawmakers heard her accusations against the label that signed her in 2022, Ador, which belongs to the giant Hybe, the largest K-pop agency in the Asian country now rocked by the scandalous financial decisions of its president, Bang Si-hyuk. Police have searched the company's offices in an investigation into fraudulent stock market transactions .

In her statement, Hanni recounted that Hybe's top executives had forced the label's other artists to cut them loose after NewJeans announced it wanted to end its contract with Ador. "I felt I couldn't stand idly by while this behavior continued to happen," the singer said in her appearance, reiterating that all the members of the group had been subjected to "unfair treatment." Hybe also fired Ador's CEO, Min Hee-Jin, who had been NewJeans' artistic mentor, and accused her of wanting to form an independent label with the group.

At the beginning of the year, NewJeans changed their name and began using the initials NJZ. The five members began organizing their own schedules. In April, a Seoul court ruled in favor of their agency and prohibited the group from releasing new songs and negotiating endorsement deals . The ruling stated that NewJeans could not unilaterally terminate their contract with Andor because they had not proven any breach of contract on the label's part. "We cannot remain under a management that has not respected our identity and our achievements," the singers said in a statement.

"This fight was necessary. We believed it was important to tell the world what we've experienced. Although it's extremely difficult, we will continue doing what we've done until now and raise our voices," said Haerin, one of the quintet members, in an interview with the BBC.

At the end of May, the South Korean court ruled against NewJeans again, ordering each member of the girl group to pay 1 billion won (640,000 euros) to the agency for each professional activity carried out without their prior consent. "Given that NewJeans violated the obligations established by the court order by performing under a new group name and even releasing new songs before and after the ruling, it is necessary to impose indirect compulsory enforcement to ensure compliance with the order," the latest ruling states.

The group has appealed and still has several episodes left in the soap opera starring the rebellious girls of K-pop, an industry that has been constantly under scrutiny due to the extreme pressure it exerts on its stars.