NewJeans members expressed they are open to returning to ADOR, but only if things are restored to pre-audit conditions.
On July 24, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Agreement Division 41 held the third hearing for the lawsuit filed by ADOR seeking confirmation of the validity of its exclusive contracts with NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein.
During the hearing, NewJeans’ legal representative stated, “The root cause of all this began with HYBE’s audit in April last year. Although there were claims of a hostile takeover and allegations of ‘attempt to steal NewJeans,’ none of these were listed as a reason for Min Hee Jin’s dismissal at the time.” The representative added, “During the audit and dismissal of the CEO, there was no protection for the members. It was more like, ‘You kids stay out of the grown-ups’ fight and just keep doing what you’re told.'”
They continued, “If it had been a legitimate audit, we might have something to say, but just ten days ago, in a separate case filed by HYBE, police concluded after a thorough investigation that Min Hee Jin’s actions were part of her duties as ADOR’s CEO and did not constitute a breach of trust. The case was dropped without indictment.”
The members’ side emphasized, “The current ADOR is filled with HYBE executives following Min Hee Jin’s dismissal. The ADOR that the members trusted and signed with no longer exists. Today’s ADOR is not the same ADOR that wholeheartedly supported the members when the contracts were signed.” They continued, “ADOR says ‘what do you mean, ADOR is ADOR,’ but just like changing the SIM card in a phone makes it a different device, this is not the ADOR the members trusted. Therefore, they can no longer trust or entrust themselves to it.”
They also stated, “The members have suffered the most damage after being neglected amid the conflict between HYBE and Min Hee Jin. Even during Hanni’s personnel issue (the ‘ignore her’ incident), HYBE didn’t try to protect the members and instead made Hanni look like a liar.”
They added, “It’s not that the members absolutely refuse to return. If ADOR were restored to the state it was when the members first trusted it, they would return even without being asked. But the current ADOR is like a phone with its SIM card replaced, completely different, and now under HYBE’s control. So, they cannot go back,” stressing their willingness to return to ADOR with Min Hee Jin reinstated.
However, ADOR argued, “The reasons the members claim for terminating their contracts keep changing,” and said, “The individual reasons for termination raised by the defendants are unjustified. We will submit detailed explanations in writing before the next hearing.”
Before this lawsuit, ADOR had already filed for and won an injunction preserving its status as NewJeans’ agency and preventing the members from engaging in independent advertisement deals. In March, the court fully ruled in favor of ADOR, and that decision was upheld in the appeals court.
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