NewJeans' Haerin and Hyein Return to ADOR Agency... One Year After Contract Termination Declaration (Comprehensive)

"Respecting the Court's Ruling, Complying with the Exclusive Contract"

Haerin of NewJeans (left) and Hyein. Photo by Yonhap News

Haerin and Hyein, members of the group NewJeans, will return to their agency, ADOR, after a prolonged dispute over their exclusive contracts.

On November 12, ADOR released an official statement saying, "NewJeans members Haerin and Hyein have expressed their intention to continue their activities with ADOR." The company added, "After careful consideration and thorough discussions with their families, both members have decided to respect the court's ruling and comply with the exclusive contract."

The agency stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure that Haerin and Hyein can continue their entertainment activities smoothly," and added, "We ask for your warm support for the members and request that you refrain from making speculative comments about them."

This decision comes about a year after the NewJeans members declared the termination of their contracts in November last year, citing "ADOR's breach of the exclusive agreement." At that time, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein held a joint press conference, announcing, "We requested corrective action from the company, but it was not accepted," and signaled their intention to pursue independent activities.

In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contracts and also requested an injunction to prevent the members from pursuing independent activities until a final ruling was made.

NewJeans attending the press conference regarding the termination of the exclusive contract last November. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The court ruled in favor of ADOR in both the injunction and the first trial of the main lawsuit. The court stated, "It is difficult to conclude that there was a management vacuum solely due to the dismissal of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, and the exclusive contract does not include any management clauses through the former CEO."

After the ruling, Haerin and Hyein reportedly accepted the court's decision following discussions with their families and chose to resume activities on the premise of restoring trust with ADOR.

With two out of the five NewJeans members now expressing their intention to return, attention is turning to the future moves of the remaining members, Minji, Hanni, and Danielle.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.