MUSIC
NewJeans Members Seek New Name Amid Legal Battle with ADOR and HYBE
On the 23rd, ADOR stated to TenAsia, "ADOR maintains that the exclusive contract is valid and is diligently participating in court proceedings. We find it regrettable that the members are attempting independent entertainment activities, such as soliciting a new activity name, before a legal judgment is made, as this could constitute a significant breach of contract."
This statement comes in response to the five members' announcement to abandon the name NewJeans and seek a new name. In a post, the members stated, "Bunnies! We are looking to solicit a new activity name to use for a certain period over the next two days. We ask for your active participation in the comments." They added, "We will choose from the many good names you suggest."
On the same day, the members announced their decision to appoint Sejong, the same legal representative as former ADOR CEO Hee-jin, to "stand against HYBE in court." Through an unofficial social media account, they revealed, "We confirmed through the media that ADOR has filed a 'lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract' against us and has also applied for an 'injunction to preserve the status of the agency and prohibit advertising contract agreements.' We received the complaint and application a few days ago and have appointed Sejong as our legal representative."
Regarding the decision to appoint Sejong, who represents Min Hee-jin, they explained, "Since ADOR and HYBE have appointed Kim & Chang as their legal representatives, we felt the need for a law firm capable of responding to them. We believe Sejong, who is already aware of HYBE and ADOR's faults and issues, is the most suitable to respond to the rapidly progressing injunction."
The members also expressed strong dissatisfaction towards HYBE, stating, "HYBE and ADOR have not fulfilled their duty as an agency to protect and nurture their artists. Throughout our activities, there were numerous large and small interferences, and they essentially abandoned us, using the term 'long vacation' to disguise their intention to 'suspend our entertainment careers.' Even after the exclusive contract was lawfully terminated, baseless criticisms were directed at us through the media and YouTube channels, which could only have been known if ADOR and HYBE provided the information. We cannot help but think that ADOR and HYBE are at the center of this entire situation."
The members firmly stated, "We want to make it clear that the five of us have no intention of returning to HYBE and ADOR, where we cannot expect even the minimum level of trust. After the termination of the exclusive contract, we wanted to complete the remaining schedules and contracts amicably without disputes and hoped that no harm would come to the involved parties. However, seeing ADOR and HYBE causing harm to us and others through improper methods, we decided not to remain silent any longer."
In conclusion, they declared, "We intend to fight confidently in court to clearly reveal the wrongdoings of ADOR and HYBE and to inform the truth through legal procedures," asking for support.
The five members, known as Minhadaehae, have been pursuing independent activities since notifying ADOR of the termination of their exclusive contract on November 29 last year. Min Hee-jin has remained silent on multiple tampering allegations against her, choosing to selectively address non-core issues.
Reporter Choi Ji-ye, TenAsia, wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr
