NewJeans Members All Decide to Return to Ador; Legal Dispute Resolved with Contracts Valid Until 2029

All five members of the K-pop girl group NewJeans have chosen to return to their agency, Ador. The group’s future direction was finalized following the conclusion of a prior legal dispute between the parties involved. Haerin and Hyein were the first to express their intention to return, followed by Danielle, Minji, and Hanni. In an official statement, Ador confirmed that “Haerin and Hyein decided to respect the recent court ruling” and added that this was the result of “careful consideration after thorough discussions with their families.” The agency also requested that fans continue to support them while avoiding unfounded speculation about the members. The remaining three members subsequently issued separate statements to officially confirm their return, stating, “After careful deliberation, we decided to return to Ador.” They explained that “one member is currently in Antarctica, which delayed sending a formal statement, but since Ador has not responded, we are issuing this official notice through individual statements.” They further added, “We will continue to greet you with sincere music and performances.” The court has ruled that the contract between NewJeans and Ador remains valid until 2029. At the end of last month, the Seoul Court dismissed NewJeans’ lawsuit seeking to invalidate the contract, ruling that the position of CEO Min Hee-jin was not a mandatory requirement under the agreement. NewJeans initially indicated their intention to appeal but ultimately decided to accept the court’s decision. The conflict between NewJeans and Ador lasted approximately two years before this decision to return was made. After Min Hee-jin’s controversial dismissal in early 2024, NewJeans expressed their intention to leave Ador due to “mistreatment” and “deliberate miscommunications and manipulation.” The group submitted various demands, including Min’s reinstatement, but when the agency refused, they declared their official departure. In response, Ador immediately took legal action, and the Seoul Court issued an interim order in March prohibiting the group from conducting independent activities. Since their debut in July of last year, NewJeans has achieved global success. Billboard named them one of “the most widely recognized and influential groups in the pop genre” in 2023, and they hold the fastest record in K-pop history for reaching 1 billion streams on Spotify, surpassing BTS and BLACKPINK. Restoring trust between Ador and NewJeans has become the most critical task for the group’s comeback and continued musical activities.