NewJeans, 'Content Certification D-day'... Will They Leave ADORE Following Min Hee-jin?

Deadline for Ado's response today... Experts divided on NewJeans injunction application
Penalty fees and liability to be decided in court... Estimated at 300-600 billion KRW

Group NewJeans is drawing attention as the deadline for their certified letter response to their agency ADOR, citing 'termination of exclusive contract,' approaches.

One day before the deadline, ADOR expressed full trust in the artist's words regarding Hanni's bullying claims and demanded a sincere response from HYBE's label Belift Lab. Amid this, eyes are on whether NewJeans will remain with ADOR or engage in legal disputes.

Previously, former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin resigned as an internal director and left HYBE. With the certified letter response from NewJeans members to ADOR due on the 28th, the possibility of a full-fledged legal battle is emerging.

On the 13th, NewJeans members sent a certified letter to ADOR demanding △ the return of former CEO Min △ revision and measures regarding internal HYBE documents △ an official apology for the 'ignore her' remark directed at member Hanni △ protection of NewJeans' original works. Notably, Min's return was a core demand, highlighting the members' unity on this issue.

ADOR responded to some matters but stated that Min's return is realistically impossible. Regarding this, ADOR only requested Belift Lab under HYBE to show sincerity about the remarks related to Hanni and did not provide specific positions on other issues.

With the deadline set by NewJeans through the certified letter now passed, there is a high possibility of filing an injunction to suspend the exclusive contract's effect. If the court accepts the injunction, the members can operate independently until the main lawsuit's outcome is decided. However, legal prospects remain divided.

Yonhap News

If the exclusive contract is terminated, NewJeans may face a significant penalty fee. The music industry estimates this amount to be between 300 billion and 600 billion KRW. However, the court may reduce the penalty by considering the fault of both parties.

Additionally, since the trademark rights belong to ADOR, continuing activities under the name NewJeans could be difficult. Past cases show that after contract termination, acquiring trademark rights requires the artist to pay a substantial fee to the agency. Recently, at an awards ceremony, NewJeans members said, "Even if not NewJeans, NewJeans Never Die," which is interpreted as a message hinting at a possible team name change.

Even if NewJeans loses their team name, the fandom 'Bunnies' is expected to support their independent activities. Since debut, NewJeans has achieved success in domestic and international music markets based on strong global fandom support. With the fandom's loyalty and members' unity, their activities are likely to continue even after parting ways with ADOR.

The conflict between NewJeans and ADOR could set a new precedent in the music industry. Depending on negotiations between both sides, NewJeans' future path may vary, but their journey so far and fandom support will continue to back the group's potential.

Will NewJeans continue with ADOR, bear the penalty fee and enter an exclusive contract dispute with former CEO Min, or take an entirely different 'third path'? The future developments are highly anticipated.