NewJeans Demands Termination of Exclusive Contract with ADOR...
Agency Says "Will Resolve Wisely"

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It has been confirmed that global girl group NewJeans has sent a certified letter to their agency ADOR demanding the termination of their exclusive contract.

On the 14th, ADOR released an official statement saying, "We have received the certified letter and are reviewing it," and added, "We will do our best to continue working with the artists."

On the previous day, the 13th, all five members—Minji, Hanni Pham, Marsh Danielle, Kang Haerin, and Lee Hyein—delivered a certified letter under their real names to ADOR.

They reportedly demanded, "Rectify all major breaches of the exclusive contract within 14 days from the date of receiving this letter."

The certified letter particularly includes a request for necessary measures as a management company regarding HYBE's decision to "abandon New (referring to NewJeans) and start anew."

Additionally, they requested an apology for a manager's remark to Hanni, telling her to "ignore it," and called for the return of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.

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Regarding certain allegations raised by some parties about a listed company, ADOR explained,

"Director Min Hee-jin has repeatedly stated that the claims about involvement with NewJeans members' relatives and her meetings with the company's executives are 'groundless.'"

An industry insider commented, "This situation with NewJeans, who have achieved remarkable success in the global market since their debut, is very unusual," adding, "There are concerns that prolonged conflict between the agency and the artists could affect the group's activities."

Since their debut in July 2022, NewJeans has established themselves as a new powerhouse in the global K-pop market by releasing mega-hit songs like "Hype Boy", "Ditto", and "OMG".

They achieved notable success, including becoming the first Korean girl group to top the U.S. Billboard main album chart 'Billboard 200'.

Within the industry, it's widely acknowledged that former CEO Min Hee-jin played a significant role in NewJeans' success.

After successfully launching groups like f(x) and Red Velvet at SM Entertainment, she moved to HYBE and successfully debuted NewJeans, but recently stepped down from her position at ADOR.

Meanwhile, ADOR stated, "We will continue to work on restoring trust with the artists and strive for an amicable resolution," but did not mention specific solutions.

The industry's attention is now focused on the upcoming negotiation process and its outcome between both parties.

The dispute between NewJeans and their agency is one of several recent conflicts between artists and agencies in the K-pop industry, highlighting once again the need for artist rights protection and improvements in management systems.