Representative of NewJeans fan union ‘Team Bunnies’ under investigation for alleged illegal fundraising

NewJeans prominent fan club, ‘Team Bunnies,’ was investigated by Seoul prosecutors due to an alleged violation of the Collection and Use of Donations Act. Team Bunnies is a group of NewJeans, aka NJZ's, fans who collect funds, aiming to catch people who post malicious posts about the K-pop girl group.

On October 21, 2024, the fanbase reportedly raised over 51.22 million KRW within the span of eight hours on social media. The aim behind the collection of monetary funds was to report hate posts involving or mentioning the girl group members. Following the Collection and Use of Donations Act, Article 4, public funds raised over 10 million KRW must be registered with the relevant authorities.

If the person raising funds fails to register the collection with authorities, they may face a sentence to prison for three years or will have to pay a fine of 30 million KRW. A netizen who observed this activity online filed a complaint, as per Dispatch.

“After checking with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it was an illegal fundraising campaign that was not reported in advance,” they said.

Seoul Jongam Police Station then pushed Team Bunnies' case to the Office of Northern District Prosecutors.

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Team Bunnies connection with NewJeans, Min Hee-jin, criticism from other fanbases, and more

Team Bunnies is a fan union of fifth-generation girl group NewJeans and has been recognized by former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin as well. In September 2024, Min Hee-jin expressed her gratitude towards the fan club for their support of the girl group at the Hyundai Card event.

According to Dispatch, Min Hee-jin said:

“There are people called Team Bunnies. I've never seen their faces, and I don't know how old they are, but I'm so grateful. Where did these people come from? They suddenly appeared to me like Hong Gil-dong. I really want to bow down to them.”

Notably, Hong Gil-dong is well known in Korean folklore, a legend known for his bravery and acts of fighting against injustice. However, other fandoms have criticized Team Bunnies for allegedly being involved in controversial incidents.

In May 2025, Team Bunnies held an online survey regarding online shopping for NewJeans’ (NJZ) Indomie ramen event. As per the alleged survey questionnaire, the fanbase asked for personal information from fans, raising concerns among other fans of the group.

The union has introduced itself as a group of professionals who work in numerous industries, including law, finance, media, culture, and art. However, they have never revealed their faces or shared any personal details about themselves online.

However, they have stated that they have met the parents of NewJeans members and also their legal representatives, Sejong Law Firm. This meeting was held after NJZ lost the injunction filed by ADOR to stop the girl group from signing advertisement contracts without their consent.

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In other news, on July 24, 2025, the highly anticipated third hearing of NewJeans and ADOR's legal dispute took place at the Seoul Central District Court's 41st Civil Agreement Division. The legal dispute is based on the premise of proving the validity of NJZ's exclusive contract with their agency, filed by ADOR.

Both parties reportedly could not come to an agreement and presented their arguments in front of the court. NJZ stated that they wish to continue working in the music industry but expressed their unwillingness to work in partnership with ADOR.

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Meanwhile, the final judgement on the case was not given, and the lawsuit continues. The question remains whether NewJeans or ADOR will win this legal war.

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay