All Five Members of NewJeans Accept Court Ruling and Decide to Return to Ador

K-pop group NewJeans has accepted the court’s decision in their contract dispute with Ador and decided to return as a full group. Hani, Danielle, and Minzy stated in a statement on the 12th that “after careful consideration, we have decided to return to Ador,” just hours after Hyein and Haerin previously announced they had “decided to respect the recent court ruling.” The conflict originated in November of last year. Formed in July 2022, NewJeans declared the termination of their contracts with Ador at a press conference in November of that year. The group cited poor management and unfair treatment at work, specifically demanding the reinstatement of Minhee Jin, who serves as their mentor and Ador’s CEO. In April 2024, HYBE began internal investigations against Minhee Jin regarding attempts to separate its subsidiary, and the conflict intensified when she was dismissed in August. NewJeans fiercely opposed Ador, claiming that the company had “completely destroyed the trust relationship.” However, last month, a South Korean court ruled that NewJeans’ contracts, valid until 2029, would remain in effect. Although the group indicated plans to appeal, they ultimately gave up legal battles and decided to return. The timing of their decision to return was unusual. Hani, Danielle, and Minzy explained in their statement that “a member is currently in Antarctica, which delayed the release of the news,” adding that “due to Ador’s lack of response, we had to issue a separate statement.” NewJeans’ legal representative declined to respond to requests for an interview from BBC. This case was an unprecedented example in the K-pop industry that exposed the harms of long-term contracts often referred to as “slave contracts.” With the issues of poor management and broken trust within the organization still unresolved, the legal loss forced them to return. NewJeans declared their restart under Ador by promising to “continue to greet fans with sincere music and performances.”