NewJeans Members Hae-rin and Hye-in Return to ADOR, Respect Court's Decision

NewJeans members Hae-rin and Hye-in have decided to return to their agency, ADOR, after initially parting ways. The two members, who were previously aligned with former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, have accepted the court's ruling, signaling a potential rift between Min Hee-jin and the five-member group.

On the 12th, ADOR released an official statement saying, "NewJeans members Hae-rin and Hye-in have expressed their intention to continue their activities with ADOR. After careful consideration with their families and thorough discussions with ADOR, they have decided to respect the court's decision and adhere to their exclusive contracts." The agency added, "ADOR will do its utmost to support Hae-rin and Hye-in in their entertainment activities. We kindly ask for the warm support of fans and request that speculation about the members be refrained from."

The return of Hae-rin and Hye-in to ADOR is seen as a break from former CEO Min Hee-jin. NewJeans had previously cited Min's absence as a significant reason for attempting to terminate their exclusive contract with ADOR. Ultimately, they chose to part ways with Min Hee-jin and return to ADOR, complying with the court's decision.

As these two members rejoin ADOR and continue their activities with NewJeans, attention now turns to the remaining three members. Among them, Hani and Danielle hold foreign nationalities, while Minji is the only member with Korean nationality. The impact of Hae-rin and Hye-in's return on the other three members remains to be seen. Previously, the court attempted mediation twice in August and September, but both sides failed to reach an agreement, leading to the final ruling.

The legal dispute began when NewJeans claimed last year that their contract with ADOR had been terminated due to "breach of contract," and they announced plans for independent activities. In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit in December to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract and requested an injunction to prevent the members from pursuing independent activities until the main ruling.

The court sided with ADOR, and NewJeans' appeals were dismissed, preventing the members from engaging in independent activities without ADOR's approval until the main ruling. Additionally, in May, the court accepted ADOR's request for indirect enforcement, ordering NewJeans to pay 1 billion won per member for each violation if they pursued independent activities.

The main trial focused on the validity of the exclusive contract and the existence of grounds for termination. ADOR argued that "the contract is valid, and the company has diligently supported the artists," while NewJeans countered that "the trust relationship was completely broken due to the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin."