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The departure and return of NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, and Danielle have been unilateral. These three, known as 'Samjins,' announced their intention to return to their agency, ADOR, following the return of fellow members Hae-rin and Hye-in. However, unlike Hae-rin and Hye-in, whose return was coordinated with ADOR, Samjins announced their return without prior consultation.
Here's the situation: On the afternoon of the 12th, ADOR officially announced the return of Hae-rin and Hye-in. ADOR stated, "After careful consideration with their families and thorough discussions with ADOR, the two members have decided to respect the court's ruling and adhere to their exclusive contracts."
Following the announcement of Hae-rin and Hye-in's return, Minji, Hanni, and Danielle also expressed their intention to return to ADOR, albeit 2 hours and 30 minutes later. However, they communicated this through the law firm Hanil, stating, "Due to the lack of response from ADOR, we had no choice but to announce separately." In response, ADOR stated they are "verifying the authenticity."
The process of these three members announcing their return through a separate channel has caused public confusion. While they declared their intention to return to the agency, it remains uncertain whether the agency will accept them. This has led to industry criticism that "if they decided to return to ADOR, they should have engaged in sufficient dialogue with the company and followed formal procedures before announcing their return."
NewJeans has been in a public dispute with ADOR for over a year, with harsh criticisms exchanged. The unilateral nature of their return announcement has led to industry skepticism about the sincerity of the three members' intentions. "The basis for NewJeans' contract termination claim was 'breakdown of trust,' yet they seem indifferent to restoring trust," the industry notes.
The situation was abrupt from the start. In November last year, Minji held an emergency press conference with the members, declaring, "ADOR and HYBE violated the contract, leading to the termination of the exclusive contract." The basis for termination was 'breakdown of trust.' The prolonged dispute has left the trust between the parties still unrecovered. Amidst this, Minji, Hanni, and Danielle's unilateral actions have further complicated the situation.
Hanni has consistently claimed "workplace bullying and ostracism." She alleged that a manager from Belift Lab, a HYBE subsidiary, pointed at her in front of I-LAND members and said, "Ignore her." She reiterated this claim at a National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee hearing last October.
The industry consensus is that the bullying claim is unfounded. However, the incident has damaged the image of I-LAND and Belift Lab. During a major hearing on 'preservation of agency status and prohibition of advertising contract signing,' ADOR released CCTV footage showing three I-LAND members bowing 90 degrees to Hanni, making it difficult to conclude they ignored her. The court also found it hard to accept that the I-LAND manager made remarks to "ignore Hanni" based on messenger conversations between Hanni and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. Consequently, there are calls for "NewJeans members to issue a sincere apology before returning."
With Samjins announcing their return without consultation, there are concerns about the team's unity and trust. The industry speculates that Samjins and the duo of Hae-rin and Hye-in, known as '2Jins,' might pursue separate activities in the future. How the three members establish their relationship with ADOR will be crucial to whether NewJeans can reunite as a complete group. It is hoped that Samjins will engage in open communication with their agency moving forward.
Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr