K-pop group NewJeans signaled their willingness to reconcile with their agency – HYBE-owned ADOR – during the third hearing in the group and ADOR’s civil lawsuit on Thursday (July 24).
However, the group’s return is conditional only if ADOR returns to resembling the agency “that the members signed with”, NewJeans’ legal team said, according to Korea JoongAng Daily on Friday (July 25).
The group’s legal reps said: “The root of this entire conflict lies in the audit launched by HYBE in April last year.”
The said audit targeted former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. Min was then dismissed as CEO of ADOR in August 2024 following a conflict with HYBE executives.
NewJeans’ lawyers said HYBE had accused Min of attempting a management takeover and tampering with company operations.
Min resigned as an internal director at ADOR in November, issuing a public letter in which she alleged that HYBE’s actions against her were retribution for her attempt to blow the whistle on misconduct within the K-pop giant.
NewJeans’ lawyers noted last week that despite HYBE’s accusations against Min, none of these allegations were included in the official grounds for her dismissal from the CEO position, proving that “she had fulfilled her duties within her rights as ADOR’s CEO,” JoongAng reported.
“The ADOR that the members signed with — the one that cared for and supported them — is gone. Even with the same phone, once the SIM card is changed, it’s not the same device.”
NewJeans’ Legal Team
The lawyers said: “Today’s ADOR is filled with the HYBE executives who ousted Min… The ADOR that the members signed with — the one that cared for and supported them — is gone.
“Even with the same phone, once the SIM card is changed, it’s not the same device. Likewise, the ADOR that the members once trusted no longer exists.”
They continued: “Just being near the agency building makes [NewJeans’] hearts race with anxiety, to the point they need treatment for depression. How can anyone tell those young people to perform on stage just because they’re under contract? Do the defendants not have any rights to personal dignity?”
NewJeans members wrote in a petition cited by the lawyers: “Telling us to return to ADOR and HYBE is like telling the victim of school bullying to return to the same school and endure it.”
The group also likened the situation to “a mother who raised us being kicked out, while the abusive father tells us to come back, promising to bring in a better mother,” according to the report.
However, the lawyers said the NewJeans members are still open for reconciliation under specific conditions.
“Just being near the agency building makes their hearts race with anxiety, to the point they need treatment for depression.”
NewJeans’ Legal Team
The legal team said: “It’s not saying that the members are opposed to returning entirely. If ADOR were to return to the version that the members trusted and relied on, they would return even if they were asked not to.”
The contract dispute began in November 2024 when NewJeans unilaterally declared their exclusive contract with ADOR terminated. ADOR responded by filing for injunctive relief, securing the March order that prohibited external advertising deals and independent promotion.
Last month, the group failed to challenge a court injunction preventing them from pursuing independent activities without approval from ADOR, effectively ending their appeals process after missing a deadline.
The group, which has performed under the name NJZ since February, did not file an appeal to South Korea’s Supreme Court by the June 24 deadline. On May 30, the court warned NewJeans that they would be ordered to pay 1 billion won (USD $724,800) per member for each unauthorized activity outside their agency’s control, potentially totaling 5 billion won ($3.6 million) if all five members perform together.
The case now enters mediation, with a closed-door session scheduled for August 14 at 2pm in Seoul. Any agreement reached during mediation would carry the same legal weight as a court settlement, JoongAng reported. If the mediation becomes unsuccessful, the court has reportedly set a ruling for October 30.
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