NewJeans Releases Full Response to Adore's Legal Notice: 'We Hope to Clear Up Misunderstandings'

On November 29, 2024, NewJeans publicly shared their response to the legal notice received from Adore. The response from Adore consisted of a comprehensive 26-page document addressing the issues raised by NewJeans.

During an emergency press conference held by the five members of NewJeans, they revealed the full text of Adore's reply to their legal notice, which was initially sent on November 13, 2024, to Adore and its CEO, Kim Joo-young.

In the response, Adore stated, "Adore and NewJeans entered into an exclusive contract on April 21, 2022, which remains valid until July 31, 2029, the date marking seven years from the artist's debut." They emphasized their commitment to supporting NewJeans' activities, describing the group as a valuable intellectual property and a source of pride for the company.

Adore expressed surprise at NewJeans' sudden intention to terminate the contract, noting that the reasons cited by the artist were not adequately explained in terms of violating significant contract terms. They questioned whether any legal violations had occurred that would justify the termination of the contract, and whether the requests made by the artists were indeed based on such grounds.

Adore also provided detailed responses to each of the issues raised by NewJeans, which included concerns about management decisions made by HYBE, the lack of action taken against a manager from another label who allegedly told member Hani to 'ignore' issues, inappropriate comments made by HYBE PR staff, unauthorized releases of photos and videos from their trainee days, and the need to protect NewJeans' identity and activities.

In their response, Adore noted that some of the requests from NewJeans were somewhat vague or exceeded their authority and responsibilities. However, they affirmed their commitment to taking the best possible actions regarding the artists' requests and expressed a desire for open communication moving forward.

Adore reiterated their strong will and capability to fulfill their obligations in supporting various entertainment activities beyond the specific requests made by NewJeans. They expressed hope that the legal notice would help clear up any misunderstandings, explaining that their previous silence on certain matters was intended to protect the artists' image.

Finally, Adore suggested that direct discussions would be more effective than public discourse in resolving misunderstandings and differences in perspective.

On November 28, 2024, NewJeans held an emergency press conference where they announced their decision to terminate their exclusive contract with Adore, effective from midnight on November 29. The members expressed their belief that Adore lacked the will and ability to protect them, while Adore maintained that the contract remains valid despite the artists' claims of a breach of trust.