All NewJeans Members Return to ADOR After a Year-Long Legal Dispute

Announcement Made One Day Before Appeal Deadline

Group NewJeans. Provided by ADOR

After a year-long legal battle, the group NewJeans will return to their agency, ADOR. This comes one year after they announced their intention to pursue independent activities, citing a breach of exclusive contract by ADOR and declaring the contract terminated in November last year.

On the 12th, ADOR stated, "After thorough discussions with their families, NewJeans members Haerin and Hyein have decided to respect the court’s ruling and comply with their exclusive contract," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure that both members can continue their activities smoothly." It is reported that the two members decided to return immediately after the court’s decision and jointly expressed their intention to forgo an appeal.

Approximately two and a half hours later, the remaining members-Minji, Hanni, and Danielle-announced, "After careful consideration, we have also decided to return to ADOR." The three members explained, "The announcement was delayed because one member is currently in Antarctica, and due to the lack of response from ADOR, we were inevitably compelled to release a separate statement," adding, "We will continue to meet you with sincere music and performances." In response, ADOR stated, "We are currently confirming the intentions of the three members regarding their return."

NewJeans debuted as a five-member group in 2022 and rose to prominence as a leading K-pop group with hit songs such as 'Attention,' 'Hype Boy,' 'Ditto,' and 'Super Shy.' However, conflict arose last year when HYBE dismissed Min Hee Jin, the founder of ADOR and the producer of NewJeans. The members demanded the return of the former CEO, and when this was not accepted, they held a press conference in November last year to declare the termination of their exclusive contracts.

In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contracts and requested an injunction to prohibit the members from engaging in activities. The court ruled in favor of ADOR, stating that "the exclusive contracts remain valid." On October 30, the 41st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court ruled, "It is difficult to acknowledge any fault on the part of ADOR," siding with the agency. As a result of this ruling, if the members continued individual activities, they would be required to pay 1 billion won in damages per violation.

The announcement of NewJeans’ return came just one day before the deadline to file an appeal, at midnight on the 13th. Analysts note that the legal grounds for continuing an appeal have weakened, as the court found it "difficult to recognize a breakdown of trust."

Previously, ADOR stated, "We have completed preparations for activities such as the release of a full-length album and have been waiting for the members to return," adding, "We will spare no support to ensure that NewJeans can stand on stage again." The contract between NewJeans and ADOR is valid until July 2029.