NewJeans’ legal disputes with label ADOR finally come to a close

After months of speculation surrounding their future, all five members of NewJeans are officially reuniting with their agency ADOR, bringing an end to one of K-pop’s most publicized legal disputes.

The news comes after a prolonged standoff between the girl group and the label over contract validity and management control.

On Wednesday, ADOR confirmed that group members Haerin and Hyein had chosen to continue their partnership with the label after extensive discussions with their families. In a statement, the company said the two had decided to comply with the court’s recent ruling affirming their exclusive contracts, which remain valid until 2029. 

Hours later, remaining group members Hanni, Minji, and Danielle issued their own joint statement, revealing they had also decided to resume activities under ADOR following “careful discussion.” The trio added that communication delays had occurred because one member was overseas. “We will continue greeting you with sincere music and performances,” their statement read.

The news effectively ends a year-long dispute between the chart-topping girl group and ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE, home to global acts like BTS and SEVENTEEN. The conflict began in 2024 after the dismissal of ADOR’s former CEO and NewJeans’ creative mentor Min Hee-jin, whose departure prompted the group to accuse the label of mistreatment and manipulation. In response, the five members declared they would leave ADOR and operate independently under the name NJZ.

ADOR quickly took legal action to halt those activities, filing an injunction that was upheld by a South Korean court earlier this year. The court ruled that Min’s termination was not sufficient grounds to void the group’s exclusive contracts, effectively prohibiting the members from pursuing independent ventures until 2029. In June, the court fined each member about $734,000 for unauthorized promotional work under the NJZ name.

Following the October ruling affirming ADOR’s management rights, the label expressed readiness to resume NewJeans’ official activities, stating it had already prepared for the release of a new studio album.

Since their debut in 2022, NewJeans have emerged as one of K-pop’s most successful rookie groups. Their sophomore EP Get Up debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and the group has landed multiple songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including hits such as “Super Shy” and “ETA.”

With all five members now committed to continuing under ADOR, fans are hopeful that NewJeans will soon return from hiatus.