5 key points to understand the contract termination event between NewJeans and ADOR! Members’ income revealed, not afraid of facing huge penalties!

Recently, the five members of NewJeans held a press conference together to announce that they would officially terminate their contract with the management company ADOR at 00:00 on November 29.

This means that NewJeans will leave ADOR and its parent company HYBE, regaining their freedom. The following five points summarize the key points of this press conference, allowing us to understand the background of NewJeans’ contract termination.

The internal conflict between HYBE and former ADOR president Min Hee-jin has attracted widespread attention from the outside, and this incident has finally affected NewJeans.

Previously, NewJeans openly stated in a live broadcast that they had been treated coldly within the company, and Hanni even spoke at the National Assembly, sharing her experience of being rudely ignored in the company.

Not long ago, NewJeans requested that ADOR respond to their demands within 14 days through a lawyer’s letter, correcting significant breaches of contract, or they would terminate the exclusive contract.

At yesterday’s emergency press conference, member Hanni mentioned that the reason for leaving is actually quite simple: “HYBE has a responsibility to support its artists, but we haven’t felt that support; moreover, HYBE’s deliberate neglect of NewJeans has affected our mental state.”

They further pointed out, “ADOR has become a company that only chases profits, lacking any sincerity towards music art, and we do not wish to continue wasting time in such an environment, so we have chosen to leave.”

Although many media outlets had predicted earlier that NewJeans might terminate their contract with the agency, there were analyses at the time suggesting that this would require NewJeans to pay a penalty of up to 600 billion won.

At the meeting, Haerin responded by saying that she had seen relevant reports, but NewJeans had no intention of paying any breach of contract compensation.

She stated, “We have not breached the contract and have been working hard, treating every matter with care, so we believe there is no need to pay breach of contract compensation.” Haerin emphasized that HYBE is the party responsible for the termination of the contract.

According to reports, earlier leaked chat records showed that Min Hee-jin and senior executives at ADOR discussed the issue of breach of contract penalties. The conversation at the time revealed that even if each member could earn at least 2 billion won per month, the calculation method for the penalty remained a key issue.

At the press conference, member Danielle stated that all five members are fully aware that after the contract is terminated, they may not be able to continue using the name “NewJeans,” but they will not give up their fight. “NewJeans has never vanished.”

Danielle also revealed that NewJeans will have more opportunities to engage in work and activities that they are truly interested in after leaving ADOR, including releasing new music in 2025 and meeting fans from around the world. However, they will still try to proceed with previously scheduled activities as planned.

This morning, members of NewJeans appeared at the airport, with reports suggesting that they are preparing to go to Tokyo to participate in the Countdown Japan 24/25 music festival.

When asked if there was anything they wanted to say to HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, member Minji said, “We don’t have anything special to say to that person.”

HYBE and ADOR internally expressed considerable surprise at the sudden announcement of contract termination by the five members of NewJeans.

This morning, ADOR issued an official statement, stating that “the company has not violated the contract, and the members unilaterally expressed a breakdown of trust, which is not a legitimate reason for termination. Therefore, NewJeans remains an artist under ADOR, and we hope they will continue to fulfill their work arrangements.”

After the press conference, Min Hee-jin posted The Beatles’ song “Free As A Bird” on her Instagram Story, seemingly in support of the members’ decision. The public is also curious about whether NewJeans and Min Hee-jin will collaborate again after the termination, and how they will develop their future collaboration models is also a point of interest.

 We will continue to look forward to NewJeans’ future development.