The five members of NewJeans, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, have completed most of the schedules that were initially planned with ADOR. Since notifying the company of the termination of their exclusive contracts, no new schedules have been agreed upon.
The members of NewJeans are now facing a “dilemma.” If they choose to continue their activities, they can no longer use the name “NewJeans,” and if they stop, they face uncertainty regarding how long the hiatus could last. If they push forward with activities, they risk an increase in penalties due to potential breach of contract. For the five members, this situation presents considerable legal challenges.
According to industry sources, NewJeans completed most of their scheduled activities with ADOR, including an awards ceremony in Fukuoka, Japan, on January 5. While some advertising-related shoots are still pending, all other schedules have been fulfilled. For the schedules contracted through ADOR, the members received support from ADOR’s staff, including managers.
On November 28 of last year, the five members held a press conference announcing their unilateral termination of their exclusive contracts with ADOR, stating they would proceed with the planned schedules and advertisements as scheduled. Danielle mentioned at the time, “We won’t let the contract termination cause harm to others, we don’t want that,” and emphasized their intention to fulfill their commitments.
Over the next month, the five members continued with their scheduled appearances, including as guests at the Japanese duo YOASOBI’s concert and other year-end awards events. However, during their appearance on CBS’s “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show” on December 25, they faced backlash for proceeding with this schedule without consulting ADOR. ADOR responded by stating that the artists had made the decision independently, without the company’s prior knowledge.
The “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show” is a program previously attended by Min Hee-jin, the former ADOR representative, and NewJeans appeared on the show under their individual names rather than as NewJeans, subtly highlighting their independent actions. Minji even wore a “Min Hee-jin T-shirt,” which drew attention and criticism.
An insider revealed to Ten Asia that several managers who left ADOR have been supporting NewJeans’ independent activities. “Although there’s no official staff from ADOR, it seems that a separate team has been assembled to support them,” the source said.
With the completion of the majority of the scheduled activities contracted with ADOR, the future actions of the five members are under close scrutiny. Industry experts have stated, “Any future activities by NewJeans could be considered a breach of contract. Although NewJeans claims to have terminated their contract, the positions of ADOR and the members are very different, and since the legal matter has not been resolved, their next steps are crucial.”
The expert further warned, “As the breach of contract cases accumulate, the penalties NewJeans will face could increase. The members are in a situation where they may not be able to avoid a lawsuit, and the risk of penalties is significant.”
Hanni, a member with both Vietnamese and Australian nationality, claims that her contract with ADOR has ended. However, she used an E-6 (Entertainment) visa issued by ADOR and only completed a Japanese schedule on January 5. If she insists her contract has ended, she would be considered an illegal resident and would need to return the visa and leave Korea. Afterward, she would need to apply for a new visa through a different agency, which could take at least three months. This situation could make full group activities for NewJeans impossible for the time being.