"Clearing Up Misunderstandings"... NewJeans' 26-Page Certified Response Letter from ADOR Revealed

Ado "'Throwing away the new, starting fresh'... Not meaning to abandon NewJeans"
NewJeans "Insincere response"... Declare termination of exclusive contract

On the 28th, the group NewJeans held an emergency press conference and declared the termination of their exclusive contract with ADOR effective from midnight on the 29th. One hour before the press conference, ADOR's 26-page response to NewJeans' certified letter was disclosed.

The group NewJeans is attending a press conference regarding the termination of their exclusive contract held on the afternoon of the 28th at SpaceShare Samsung Station Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. From left to right: Haerin, Danielle, Minji, Hani, Hyein. Photo by Yonhap News.

At 7 p.m. on the 28th, ADOR, the agency representing NewJeans, sent a reply to the certified letter issued by the five members to the company. During the press conference, NewJeans referred to this response and described it as an insincere answer.

ADOR reiterated that the contract signed between ADOR and NewJeans on April 21, 2024, remains valid until July 31, 2029, which marks seven years from their debut date.

The response stated, "We have done our best to support NewJeans," and added, "As a result, NewJeans has grown into one of the top teams domestically and internationally in a short period."

Regarding the conflict between former CEO Min Hee-jin and the parent company HYBE, ADOR described it as an "unexpected legal dispute" and emphasized that "even with the CEO replacement, we have consistently supported NewJeans."

Furthermore, ADOR expressed regret that there was no opportunity for dialogue with NewJeans members and their parents during this conflict and stated, "We sincerely hope you seriously consider meeting face-to-face with ADOR and its executives as we have requested multiple times to fully discuss and communicate any misunderstandings or differing positions."

The response also included information that plans for next year's fan meeting, full-length album release, and world tour were underway.

Regarding the exclusive contract issue, ADOR pointed out, "Failing to meet subjective expectations does not constitute a breach of contract." They further claimed, "Many of the issues the members assert as contract violations involve the words and actions of third parties, not ADOR." ADOR explained that as these are third parties, they have no means or authority to enforce the members' demands and added that the evidence and grounds for these claims are unclear.

ADOR also questioned legally whether ADOR had committed any violations severe enough to warrant contract termination. They asserted that important aspects of the exclusive contract, such as negotiations for entertainment activities, support, payment receipt, and settlement, were faithfully fulfilled.

Earlier, on the 13th, NewJeans sent a certified letter to ADOR demanding ▲an explanation and legal action regarding HYBE's music industry report statement "Just discard NewJeans and reorganize," ▲an official apology from the manager who told Hani to "ignore it," ▲deletion of videos and photos used without consent, ▲assessment and resolution of damages caused by "album pushing," and ▲the reinstatement of former CEO Min Hee-jin.

In its official statement that day, ADOR expressed regret over NewJeans planning and holding a contract termination press conference without sufficient review before receiving a reply to the certified letter. ADOR stated, "ADOR, as a party to the exclusive contract, has not violated the contract, and unilateral claims of broken trust do not constitute grounds for termination."

They emphasized, "The exclusive contract between ADOR and NewJeans members remains valid. Therefore, we hope you will continue to work with ADOR for future schedules as before."

ADOR's Response to NewJeans' Certified Letter Requests

▲ Regarding the request to take all necessary measures as NewJeans' management company concerning HYBE's decision described in the music industry report as "Just discard NewJeans and reorganize"

ADOR fundamentally drew a line by stating that the report was created by HYBE and said they requested an explanation from HYBE. They conveyed that "HYBE confirmed that it was not about discarding NewJeans and that no specific or concrete actions were 'decided' or 'instructed.'" They added that it is difficult to take audit or personnel actions against HYBE members.

Specifically, they explained that for LE SSERAFIM, rather than grouping under the name "NewAr" and being compared with two other artists, it was suggested that positioning alongside other female idol groups who achieved initial million sales at the time (BLACKPINK, aespa, IVE) to build an independent path would be better.

▲ Regarding the claim that ADOR took no action and neglected the issue of a manager from another label telling Hani to "ignore it"

ADOR clarified that this was related to an employee of another company and emphasized, "We believed necessary measures should be taken as long as there was no damage to the image of Hani and other artists." They detailed efforts to ascertain the specific circumstances of why the CCTV footage was not preserved. The person in charge who directly reviewed the CCTV found no unusual incidents except for one scene where someone greeted and preserved only that scene. ADOR also explained that they requested a face-to-face meeting with the manager from the label (Belift Lab), but the request was declined.

▲ Regarding the request for ADOR to take action against inappropriate remarks by HYBE PR staff

ADOR expressed deep regret for the discomfort and concerns felt by the artists and stated that they immediately raised objections to HYBE PR and demanded measures to prevent recurrence. They explained that HYBE excluded the PR staff member from ADOR and NewJeans PR duties. Regarding whether this staff member was subject to disciplinary action, ADOR said they sought legal advice but were told that the case did not warrant discipline or that disciplinary action might be deemed unfair.

▲ Regarding the claim that photos and videos from NewJeans' trainee days were released without permission through media and were not deleted

ADOR stated, "We are not the party who posted or distributed the videos, so we cannot delete them directly," and said they requested the media outlet to stop posting and have been continuously enforcing this. They also informed that they are actively working to identify how the videos were leaked by sending official letters to the media.

▲ Regarding the request to resolve damages caused by HYBE's "album pushing"

ADOR explained that they confirmed with HYBE that no "album pushing" occurred.

▲ Regarding the dispute with director Shin Woo-seok of Dolphin Kidnap Gang and the issue of existing works disappearing

ADOR claimed that the content in question was only the ETA Director's Cut, but Dolphin Kidnap Gang unilaterally deleted videos without requesting deletion. ADOR also explained that they took legitimate measures to prevent rights infringement.

▲ Regarding the request to take all necessary measures to preserve NewJeans' identity and guarantee their activities

ADOR stated that they have already communicated plans for next year's domestic fan meeting, full album release, and world tour and are proceeding with them, but the artists continue to refuse discussions. Regarding claims of copying Belift Lab's project plans, ADOR said they made efforts to verify facts but former director Min Hee-jin did not submit evidence, and Belift Lab replied that "they have sufficiently answered through media interviews," making verification difficult.

▲ Regarding the request to reinstate former director Min Hee-jin as CEO

ADOR firmly stated, "The retention of a specific individual's CEO position is within the management judgment of ADOR's board of directors." They emphasized that regarding 'production' rather than 'management,' they have made efforts to respect the artists' wishes as much as possible so that former director Min Hee-jin can continue producing.