NewJeans' Hani Remains Unmoved After Adore's Statement: Is a Split Imminent?

Is NewJeans firm in their decision to part ways with Adore? On November 27, Hani changed her status message on the fan communication platform Phoning from 'It's snowing~' to a neutral emoticon. This change came after Adore released a statement urging Belift Lab to apologize, expressing trust in Hani's claims following a formal notice from NewJeans.

Adore stated, "The claims regarding Belift Lab's 'manager disrespect' are entirely different from Hani's account. Hani clearly remembers that on May 27, a member of Belift Lab made comments suggesting 'ignore' or 'pass by without acknowledging.' It is unreasonable to expect Hani to recall every detail of a brief incident to validate her experience, which places an unfair burden on the victim."

They continued, "We fully trust our artist's words and genuinely regret the harm Hani has suffered. We hope Belift Lab will not take Hani's distress lightly and will demonstrate mutual respect and sincerity."

On November 13, NewJeans sent a formal notice to Adore demanding the return of former CEO Min Hee-jin and an official apology from the manager who allegedly told Hani to be ignored. The members declared that if their demands were not met within 14 days of receiving the notice, they would terminate their exclusive contract. With Adore receiving the notice on the 14th, the deadline was set for November 28.

As the deadline approached, Adore hastily issued a warning to Belift Lab, but as of now, no apology has been made to Hani. Furthermore, after reviewing CCTV footage and statements from artists and staff, Belift Lab maintains that the ILY:1 members greeted NewJeans with a 90-degree bow and that the manager never instructed anyone to ignore Hani.

Additionally, Adore has yet to address other demands, such as the return of former CEO Min Hee-jin, leaving fans to speculate whether NewJeans will continue their partnership with Adore or proceed with the anticipated contract termination.