K-pop group NewJeans ends feud with ADOR, resumes work after court ruling on contract dispute with HYBE label
SEOUL: All members of the K-pop group NewJeans have resumed working with their record label, the company and their lawyers said Thursday, after accusations of mistreatment and a year-long dispute that stalled their careers.
The move came after a court ruled last month that the group’s five members must honour their contracts with record label ADOR, whose parent company HYBE is also behind K-pop sensation BTS.
NewJeans made headlines in November 2024 when they announced their decision to leave ADOR, prompting the company to request an injunction barring them from any commercial activities. That request was granted in March.
“Hello, this is Minji, Hanni, and Danielle. After careful and thorough discussions, we have decided to return to ADOR,” three of the members said in a statement provided to AFP by their attorneys.
The statement came after ADOR announced on Wednesday that the other members, Haerin and Hyein, had also agreed to work with the label.
“The two members have decided to respect the court’s latest ruling and adhere to their exclusive contract with the label,” ADOR said in a statement, adding that it was “committed to providing its full support”.
NewJeans is among HYBE’s most successful acts since making its debut in 2022.
The heated contractual dispute erupted last year following allegations that HYBE had forced out the band’s star producer, Min Hee-jin, from her role as ADOR’s CEO.
NewJeans’ members later issued an ultimatum demanding Min’s reinstatement, which HYBE rejected.
The members then took their grievances public, accusing the label of intentionally sabotaging their careers.
Band member Hanni alleged last year that the group had faced mistreatment, including “deliberate miscommunications and manipulation” while working with ADOR.
But the Seoul Central District Court rejected last month NewJeans’ claims that the allegations had caused an “irreparable breakdown of trust” with ADOR.
Shares of HYBE jumped around 4.5 percent on Thursday after the announcement. – AFP
