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NewJeans. (Photo: ADOR) |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] ADOR, a label under HYBE, announced on December 29 that NewJeans member Hani will be returning, following members Haerin and Hyein. Minji is reportedly in positive discussions, meaning four of the five members have decided to continue with ADOR.
Since their 2022 debut under former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, NewJeans has become a leading global K-pop group with hits such as Attention, Hype Boy, Ditto, Supernatural, and How Sweet. However, activities were halted in 2024 due to a management dispute between HYBE and the ADOR leadership, led by Min Hee-jin. NewJeans sided with Min Hee-jin, refusing to return to ADOR without her and seeking contract termination citing broken trust.
ADOR repeatedly invited the members back, but they remained firm until October 30, when the first trial of ADOR’s lawsuit confirming the validity of their exclusive contracts resulted in a win for ADOR. After extensive discussions, the members agreed to return sequentially.
Daniel’s case differed. ADOR stated that continuing with Daniel as both a NewJeans member and ADOR artist was not feasible and announced her contract termination. ADOR also claimed Daniel’s family bore significant responsibility for delays and disruptions, and intends to pursue legal action against one family member and Min Hee-jin.
On the day of her contract termination, Daniel reportedly participated in a coal briquette volunteer event with Sean of Jinusean, part of the initiative Raising South Korea’s Temperature by 1 Degree.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
