NewJeans Faces D-Day for Contract Termination: Will They Leave HYBE?

The day of reckoning has arrived for NewJeans as they approach the deadline for their contract termination. On November 13, the group sent a formal notice to ADOR demanding a thorough investigation and strict action regarding an internal HYBE document that included the phrase, "We can just start anew without 'New' (뉴진스)." They also requested an official apology from the manager who allegedly told them to disregard member Hani. The members declared that if their demands were not met within 14 days, they would terminate their contract.

However, the likelihood of ADOR and HYBE acquiescing to the members' requests appears slim. Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin resigned from her position on the board of directors on November 20 and is currently engaged in extensive legal battles against HYBE. She has filed a 5 billion KRW lawsuit against Belift Lab, claiming that they plagiarized NewJeans, and has also accused key figures, including Belift Lab CEO Kim Tae-ho, of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. Furthermore, she has reported HYBE's Chief PR Officer and the head of the PR department for breach of trust, alleging that they downplayed the achievements of NewJeans and ADOR, causing significant harm. The relationship between Min and HYBE seems irreparable at this point.

In response to the allegations, Belift Lab has officially stated that their manager never instructed anyone to ignore Hani. Given these circumstances, it is unlikely that HYBE will reverse its longstanding principle of 'principled management' to accommodate NewJeans' wishes.

Industry analysts suggest that NewJeans may be laying the groundwork for a split from HYBE. The emphasis on workplace harassment in their demands is seen as a strategy to establish a breach of trust in any potential contract termination lawsuit. However, if NewJeans does decide to part ways with HYBE, they could face astronomical penalties ranging from 400 billion to 620 billion KRW. ADOR has also expressed a commitment to finding a wise resolution to continue working with the artists, leaving the door open for a possible reconciliation.

As the situation unfolds, all eyes are on whether NewJeans will choose to leave HYBE and establish a new path with their former CEO Min Hee-jin or successfully reconcile and remain with ADOR.