A trademark application has been filed for NJZ, the name that girl group NewJeans claims to have switched to, to the Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO).

Two NJZ logos were found on the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service's (Kipris) website on Thursday. The application was filed on Feb. 14 and related files were submitted on Feb. 23, according to a website entry.


The patent has not been registered yet, which means that it could be turned down by the patent office.

According to the website entry, the application was filed by Lee Dong-uk in Sasang District, Busan.

Law firm Shin & Kim, the legal representation of the five NewJeans members, did not clarify who filed the patent to the Korea JoongAng Daily.

The five singers announced the new name of the group, NJZ, on Feb. 7 through the organizer of Hong Kong's ComplexCon festival.

ADOR, the agency of girl group NewJeans, has been asking reporters to keep using the name NewJeans instead of NJZ.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]