NewJeans Responds to Ador Lawsuit: 'We Have Returned More Than the Investment'

On December 6, 2024, NewJeans issued a statement regarding the lawsuit filed by Ador to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract. The members—Minji, Hani, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—expressed that it is both unreasonable and inhumane to force them to work for an additional five years despite a breakdown in trust and contract violations. They stated, 'Ador has failed to properly assert that there were no breaches of the exclusive contract and continues to claim that the contract cannot be terminated until the company recoups its investments.' They emphasized that they have already returned profits exceeding the initial investment to both Ador and HYBE.

The group further accused HYBE of attempting to undermine their value through defamation and negative publicity, which Ador's management allowed after a leadership change. They pointed out that the exclusive contract includes a clause allowing them to terminate the agreement if Ador fails to fulfill its obligations. 'Given the breakdown of trust and contract violations, there is no longer any reason for us to work with Ador and HYBE,' they asserted.

NewJeans clarified that they are no longer affiliated with Ador as of November 29, 2024, and that Ador has no authority to interfere with their activities. They had previously sent a notice to Ador on November 13, demanding corrections to contract violations, stating that if these were not addressed within 14 days, they would terminate the contract. Following this, on November 28, they held an emergency press conference, declaring that Ador had failed to protect them and that they would not be seeking a temporary injunction to suspend the contract's validity.

In response, Ador filed a lawsuit on December 3 at the Seoul Central District Court to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract, arguing that such contracts cannot be easily terminated based on one party's claims. NewJeans expressed their disappointment over Ador's failure to acknowledge the situation accurately and reiterated their position that they are no longer bound by the contract.

In their statement, NewJeans expressed gratitude to their fans for their support and emphasized their commitment to pursuing healthy music activities moving forward, despite the challenges ahead. They concluded by stating their desire to remain united as a group, regardless of external attempts to divide them.