In a dramatic turn of events, NewJeans announced the termination of their exclusive contract with Ador, citing a breach of trust and protection failures by the agency and its parent company, HYBE. The statement was made during an emergency press conference held in Seoul’s Gangnam district at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 28, with member Minji declaring, “The exclusive contract with NewJeans will be terminated as of midnight, Nov. 29, due to Ador and HYBE’s contract violations.”
This marks the first time the group has publicly addressed the months-long dispute between Ador CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE, which has escalated over seven months.
Hanni elaborated on the reasons behind the decision: “Ador lacks both the will and the ability to protect NewJeans. Staying any longer would only waste our time and cause us further mental distress.”
The press conference coincided with the deadline for Ador to respond to a certified letter sent by the members on Nov. 13, which outlined demands including the reinstatement of Min Hee-jin as CEO. Ador sent its reply via email and mail just an hour before the press conference.
“We reviewed Ador’s response thoroughly,” Minji said. “It only reinforced our belief that the company isn’t genuinely interested in resolving the issues, opting instead for superficial measures. We hope to continue working with Min Hee-jin, but we have nothing more to say to HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk.”
Despite terminating the contract, the group reassured fans that their schedules would continue as planned. “Our contracted activities, including advertisements, will proceed without disruption,” Minji said. “There’s no need for a lawsuit. Ador and HYBE’s violations mean the contract is automatically void.”
Member Hyein addressed concerns about the group’s name, explaining, “As of midnight, we’ll lose the right to use the name NewJeans. However, we won’t give up and will continue working to reclaim our rights.”
The members emphasized that the decision was collective and made after internal discussions. “We haven’t spoken to Min Hee-jin yet, but this is a choice we came to together,” they said.
The press conference was hastily arranged, with reporters notified just two hours prior through an external PR agency rather than Ador. According to reports, Ador and HYBE were unaware of the event beforehand.
Hanni explained the urgency of the announcement, saying, “We’re leaving for Japan tomorrow morning and won’t return until next week. We were worried about what kind of media tactics HYBE or Ador might employ, so we decided to hold this emergency press conference.”
Following the conference, Ador issued a statement denying the allegations. “A unilateral claim of lost trust does not constitute grounds for termination,” the agency said. “We hope the members will reconsider and meet with us to have an honest conversation.”
The press conference, streamed live on YouTube, drew international attention. Viewer reactions ranged from messages of support for the members to concerns about the group’s future.
