NewJeans Members All Confirm Return To ADOR Following Contract Dispute

NewJeans Members All Confirm Return to ADOR Following Contract Dispute

November 14, 2025 9:11 PM . 2 min read

K-Pop group NewJeans has officially confirmed they will rejoin their agency, ADOR, following their previous announcement last year to terminate their exclusive contract. On November 12, ADOR released an official statement, saying, “After discussions with Haerin and Hyein, they have decided to return.” Not long after, the three other members Minji, Danielle, and Hanni also issued separate statements affirming their intention to return to ADOR.

In their statement, the three members explained that a communication delay occurred because one member was currently in Antarctica. They added that since ADOR had not responded quickly, they chose to announce the decision independently.

Netizens speculate that Danielle is currently in Antarctica to participate in the Antarctic Ice Marathon, an extreme running competition scheduled to be held on December 13, 2025.

Meanwhile, ADOR directly confirmed the return of Haerin and Hyein. The statement from Minji, Danielle, and Hanni was released about two and a half hours later. ADOR subsequently added that they were still reviewing the authenticity of the other three members’ statements.

Background on the ADOR and NewJeans Conflict

The dispute between ADOR and NewJeans originated with the controversial firing of ADOR CEO, Min Hee Jin, known as the mentor and key figure behind NewJeans’ success. The NewJeans side then accused ADOR of “mistreatment” as well as “intentional miscommunication and manipulation.” They also filed several lawsuits, including a request to reinstate Min Hee Jin’s position. However, after their demands were not met, the five NewJeans members announced their decision to leave ADOR.

The agency responded with a lawsuit, seeking to prevent the members from leaving and to uphold their exclusive contracts.

In late October, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that the exclusive contract between ADOR and the group NewJeans remains legally valid until 2029. NewJeans‘ return to ADOR marks a new chapter for the group.