NewJeans says it doesn’t want to return to its current agency — it wants the old ADOR back

The five members of NewJeans said on July 24 that they are willing to return to their agency ADOR on one condition: that it be restored to the way it was before the messy legal battle began with the girl group in April 2024.

“The root of this entire conflict lies in the audit launched by HYBE in April last year,” the members’ legal team said during the third hearing of ADOR’s civil lawsuit seeking to confirm the validity of its exclusive contract with NewJeans.

The representatives explained that HYBE had accused former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin of attempting to take over the company’s management and tampering, but that none of these claims were included in the official grounds for her dismissal.

They added that Min’s recent exoneration by police on charges related to breach of trust only proves that “she had fulfilled her duties within her rights as ADOR’s CEO.”

“Today’s ADOR is filled with the HYBE executives who ousted Min,” the representatives said. “The ADOR that the members signed with — the one that cared for and supported them — is gone. Even with the same phone, once the SIM card is changed, it’s not the same device. Likewise, the ADOR that the members once trusted no longer exists.

“Just being near the agency building makes their hearts race with anxiety, to the point they need treatment for depression,” the legal team continued. “How can anyone tell those young people to perform on stage just because they’re under contract? Do the defendants not have any rights to personal dignity?”

The lawyers revealed parts of a petition written by the members, which included, “Telling us to return to ADOR and HYBE is like telling the victim of school bullying to return to the same school and endure it.”

They also made an emotional appeal regarding the breakdown of trust, likening the situation to “a mother who raised us being kicked out, while the abusive father tells us to come back, promising to bring in a better mother.”

“However, it’s not saying that the members are opposed to returning entirely,” the representatives said. “If ADOR were to return to the version that the members trusted and relied on, they would return even if they were asked not to.”

In November last year, the five members of NewJeans — Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein — declared their intent to terminate their exclusive contracts with ADOR. Amid an ongoing monthslong legal dispute, the Seoul High Court’s ban preventing the members from pursuing solo activities was finalized last month.

The case will now move into mediation, with a closed-door mediation session scheduled for Aug. 14 at 2 p.m. If an agreement is reached, the result will carry the same legal effect as a settlement in court.

If the mediation fails, a tentative court ruling date is set for Oct. 30.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]