NewJeans members Minji, Hani, and Danielle have unexpectedly announced their return. On the 12th, they declared their intention to return to Ador. The three members stated, “A member is currently in Antarctica, which delayed our announcement, but since there was no response from Ador, we had no choice but to express our position separately,” openly expressing their dissatisfaction with Ador.
Their return announcement came just two and a half hours after Ador officially announced the return of members Hae-rin and Hye-in. According to the members, it seems they unilaterally declared their return without any agreement with Ador.
In response, Ador expressed their bewilderment, stating they were “checking the authenticity of the three members’ intention to return.”
Last November, NewJeans announced the termination of their exclusive contract with Ador due to contract violations. At that time, Ador had repeatedly requested conversations with the members, but NewJeans claimed the trust was broken as their demands—including the return of former CEO Min Hee-jin—were not met.
NewJeans had completely excluded Ador afterward. When Ador sent staff to the Hong Kong ComplexCon to try and initiate a dialogue with the members, they refused to meet. They also independently shot a hanbok photo shoot that former director Min participated in.
In the agency status preservation and advertising contract prohibition injunction filed by Ador against the members, and the lawsuit to verify the validity of the exclusive contract, NewJeans likened Ador and HYBE to “an abusive father,” stating, “Even passing by HYBE makes my heart race,” “I’m taking antidepressants,” and recalled being “a victim of school violence.”
However, the court dismissed all of NewJeans’ claims and ruled that their exclusive contract with Ador remains valid. In the end, Hae-rin and Hye-in decided to return after negotiations with Ador, but Minji, Hani, and Danielle declared their return without even Ador’s knowledge. There was no apology to the fans who waited for them or to Ador and other girl groups that suffered damages from their repeated criticisms. Consequently, public opinion is divided. Some support NewJeans, saying, “It’s the right decision, even if belated,” and suggest that “the young members should be given a chance.” Meanwhile, others criticize the members for not offering a single apology and going about things as they please, questioning, “Shouldn’t they wait if there’s no response?”
Reporter Baek Ji-eun silk781220@sportschosun.com