NewJeans Announces Departure from Ador Effective Midnight on November 29

K-pop group NewJeans has officially declared their intention to part ways with Ador. During an emergency press conference held on November 28 at 8:30 PM in Gangnam, Seoul, the members announced, "We will be leaving Ador effective at midnight on November 29."

This decision follows the resignation of Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of Ador, from her position as an inside director on October 30. On November 13, NewJeans sent a formal notice to Ador, demanding the return of Min Hee-jin, addressing inappropriate mentions of NewJeans in internal documents at HYBE, and an apology for comments made by another label manager who told member Hani to 'ignore' them. They stated that if these issues were not resolved within two weeks, they would terminate their contract. The deadline for a response to this notice was set for November 28, prompting the members to share their stance.

Hani explained, "The reason we are leaving Ador is very simple. I believe some people will understand the situation. NewJeans is an artist under Ador, and Ador has the obligation to protect us. This is the most basic duty of the company. However, Ador lacks both the will and the ability to protect NewJeans. Therefore, we are experiencing mental distress. Above all, we feel there is nothing to gain, and I believe there is no reason for the five members to stay."

Minji added, "I want to confirm that our contract with Ador will be terminated as of midnight on November 29. Ador seems to be playing word games, saying, 'HYBE is at fault, not Ador.' However, Ador and HYBE are essentially one and the same. The Ador we have worked with has changed. All the existing directors have been dismissed. Now, they are trying to separate Ador from HYBE, but it has changed to suit HYBE's preferences. The trust we had with our dedicated director has also been severed."

She continued, "We have requested corrections regarding breaches of our contract, and the deadline is approaching at midnight on the 29th. The responses we have received have been half-hearted and merely performative. None of our demands have been met. Despite repeatedly conveying our opinions, we feel a lack of sincerity. With less than four hours left until midnight, it seems unlikely that anything will change, so we will terminate our contract with Ador."