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| ▲ This group poster of Seoul Fashion Week, provided by Seoul City, shows the event's ambassADORs 'NewJeans. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) -- K-pop group NewJeans issued a legal notice to their agency ADOR on Wednesday, warning that they would terminate their exclusive contract if their demands for corrective action were not met.
This marks a critical juncture in the ongoing “ADOR controversy,” which has escalated following an audit in April targeting former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, potentially setting the stage for a contractual dispute.
According to the music industry, the notice was formally sent in the real names of all five NewJeans members—Kim Min-ji, Hanni Pham, Marsh Daniel, Kang Hye-rin, and Lee Hye-in. In the document, the members requested that ADOR address what they described as “significant breaches of the exclusive contract” within 14 days of receiving the notice.
NewJeans included various controversies that surfaced after the "Ador incident" in April as part of their demands for corrective action.
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| ▲ This image, provided by a reader, shows the legal notice NewJeans sent to ADOR. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
The group further referenced recent reports from the National Assembly audit that revealed an internal monitoring document by HYBE, which stated, “We were troubled with ‘NewAar’ (NewJeans, ILLIT, LE SSERAFIM) wording for days; if necessary, we could drop New and start over.” The notice called for ADOR to take all necessary actions as their management agency to address these concerns.
NewJeans stated, "We request Ador, as NewJeans' management agency, to take all necessary actions regarding HYBE's (Ador's parent company) decision to 'discard New (referring to NewJeans) and start anew,'" referencing recent parliamentary audit findings. According to a HYBE internal music industry report, "After being hounded for days over the New-Ar wording (referring to NewJeans, I-LAND, and LE SSERAFIM), they concluded it would be easier to just abandon New and start fresh."
NewJeans also demanded clarity on the individual responsible for the directive to abandon NewJeans, Ador's only artist, and an investigation into any misconduct or breaches committed in response to this order. They requested that any legal violations, such as embezzlement, be handled through both civil and criminal action. Additionally, NewJeans requested Ador to compile an audit report and personnel review related to these issues and provide it to the group.
Further demands from NewJeans included: ▲ A formal apology from the manager who allegedly told Hani to "ignore it"; ▲ Removal of videos and photos that were exposed and used without consent; ▲ Assessment and resolution of damages related to "forced album clearance"; ▲ Resolution of disputes with director Shin Woo-seok of Dolphin Kidnappers, which led to the loss of prior work; ▲ Protection of NewJeans' unique style and creative projects.
The group also addressed the final issue of bringing back former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin.
They stated, "We want Min Hee-jin (former) CEO to manage Ador and produce for NewJeans as she did before. We ask that Ador be restored to the period until March 2024, when NewJeans enjoyed happy and fulfilling activities after signing our exclusive contracts. We miss NewJeans’ dreams of sharing fresh, creative music, performances, and projects with Min Hee-jin (former) CEO."
Each member personally signed the final page of the notice, asserting their collective stance.
The group warned, “If ADOR does not comply with our requests, we will proceed with terminating the exclusive contract.” They also denied rumors concerning their families and close associates, stating, “NewJeans has no connection to these baseless speculations.”
The group concluded with a stern warning, stating they would respond firmly against any individuals spreading false information to damage NewJeans’ reputation.
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