(3rd LD) NewJeans to end contract with ADOR over ex-CEO dispute

▲ (From L to R) Haerin, Danielle, Minji, Hanni and Hyein -- the five members of K-pop girl group NewJeans, speak during a press conference in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Nov. 28, 2024. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

▲ This file photo shows K-pop girl group NewJeans, as provided by their agency, ADOR. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(3rd LD) NewJeans-press conference

(3rd LD) NewJeans to end contract with ADOR over ex-CEO dispute

(ATTN: UPDATES with ADOR's statement in paras 10-13)

SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Yonhap) -- K-pop girl group NewJeans announced Thursday that they will terminate their contract with their agency, ADOR, in protest against the company's dispute with its former CEO.

Speculation had grown that the five-member group might leave the company to support their executive producer and former ADOR CEO, Min Hee-jin, who was removed as ADOR's CEO by the board of Hybe, its parent firm, for allegedly attempting to take control of ADOR, one of Hybe's labels.

"Neither Hybe nor ADOR have shown any willingness to improve the situation or accept our demands," the group said in a press conference in southern Seoul. "ADOR lacks both the will and the ability to protect NewJeans."

"Staying here would be a waste of time and would only bring pain, mentally," Hanni, one of the NewJeans members, said at the presser.

"There is nothing we can gain professionally from staying here, so the five of us see no reason to remain at ADOR," she said.

NewJeans said they want to "freely pursue" what they want to do, and that they would like to stay with Min to continue their music career.

They also made it clear that they plan to carry out their remaining schedule as planned, and will not seek legal action, such as filing for a court injunction regarding the contract.

"We are terminating the contract because ADOR and Hybe have violated the terms," Minji, another member, said at the presser.

As the responsibility lies with the companies, the members claimed that they are not obliged to pay any penalties.

Following the announcement, ADOR issued a statement expressing regret over NewJeans' decision and stressing that it has not violated any terms. It also claimed that the contract remains valid.

"We regret that the press conference on the termination of the contract took place without sufficient consideration, and even before we gave our response to the demand letter," the company said in the statement.

Defending Min, NewJeans sent a demand letter to the agency earlier this month, warning that they would leave the company unless Min was reinstated as ADOR's CEO.

"As a party to the exclusive contract, ADOR has not violated the terms, and a unilateral claim that trust has been broken does not constitute valid grounds for termination of a contract," it said.

NewJeans has also claimed that other girl groups under Hybe's other labels copied their concepts and that they were told to "ignore" it when they raised the issue.

In the letter, NewJeans stated that if their demands were not met within 14 days, they would end their contract.

Debuted in July 2022, NewJeans became a K-pop sensation with their songs now loved by many fans around the world, including "Attention," "Hype Boy," "Ditto" and "Super Shy."

Ending the contract leaves them with uncertainty over whether the group will be able to continue using their team name.

"The five of us may not be able to use the name NewJeans," Hyein said. "Still, the essence of who we are as NewJeans will not change and we will never give up the name."

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