NewJeans are caught in a contract war with their agency ADOR as their legal battle heats up. On July 24, both sides appeared in Seoul Central District Court for the third hearing on the group’s exclusive contracts.
A mediation session is set for August 14 behind closed doors. This could be a major break in the conflict.
NewJeans’ legal team made a surprising statement: the members might return to ADOR—if the agency is restored to how it was before an April 2024 audit.
“It’s not that [the members] absolutely refuse to return to ADOR. If ADOR can be returned to how it was before the audit in April 2024, [they] would be willing to go back. But if that’s not possible, then we hope they will let [the members] go by terminating the contract.”
— NJZ’s legal team
Their team blames the whole clash on a HYBE audit targeting Min Hee Jin in April 2024. HYBE accused her of breaching duty and trying to control NewJeans—but police found no evidence. The legal team says NewJeans suffered the most from these false claims.
“This legal fight began because HYBE launched an audit against Min Hee Jin in April 2024. They claimed she was trying to seize management control and ‘take’ NewJeans, but there was no evidence in the audit or grounds for dismissal. The main issue was alleged breach of duty, and in the midst of it all, NewJeans suffered the most. Police later found no evidence of Min Hee Jin committing breach of duty. The audit and dismissal attempts were based on false premises and intended to remove Min He Jin.”
— NJZ’s legal team
The legal team also slammed ADOR’s current management, saying it’s now “controlled by HYBE staff.” They stressed they can’t trust ADOR in its present state.
“Today’s ADOR is not the same ADOR that led to our past success. It’s now controlled by HYBE staff. The so-called generous support and dividends came when Min Hee Jin was CEO. We can’t trust ADOR anymore, which is why we can’t return to it in its current state.”
— NJZ’s legal team
The ongoing feud shows no signs of stopping before mediation in August. Fans and insiders are watching closely as NewJeans fight for control and freedom from their agency.
