NewJeans Ends 348-Day Dispute, Returns to ADOR; International Media Also Gives Positive Assessment

The group NewJeans has concluded an eight-month legal dispute with its agency ADOR and announced its official return. Major international outlets such as Reuters, Forbes, BBC, and Billboard have recognized this as a significant issue in the K-pop industry and reported on NewJeans’ return positively. NewJeans had been pushing to end its exclusive contract with ADOR since the second half of 2024. The dispute originated from the dismissal of Minhee Jin, former CEO of ADOR and the group’s mentor, with the five members claiming that trust with ADOR had “completely collapsed” and demanding the contract be terminated. Reuters explained NewJeans’ situation by noting that South Korea is a country where record labels traditionally wield strong power over their stars. On October 30, a Seoul court ruled that the exclusive contract between NewJeans and ADOR was valid, meaning the group could not pursue independent activities until 2029. Forbes reported that the court’s decision rejected NewJeans’ attempts to end the contract, while Billboard described it as a ruling in favor of ADOR. Immediately after the judgment, NewJeans’ legal firm Sejong expressed intent to appeal, and the members also declared they would continue to fight. However, about two weeks later, all members announced their return to ADOR, changing their stance. BBC covered this sudden shift in circumstances, reporting that legal experts agreed the possibility of a successful appeal was very low given the court’s decision in ADOR’s favor. ADOR stated in a statement that it would “do its best to ensure all NewJeans members can continue their entertainment activities smoothly,” showing its willingness to support their future activities. With this return, NewJeans has ended a 348-day dispute and will resume official activities under ADOR, which is part of HYBE. Formed in July 2022 (with current members aged 17 to 21), NewJeans gained massive popularity after debuting and topped various charts, but was forced to halt its activities due to prolonged legal battles.