NewJeans‘ Hyein and Haerin will return to the record label ADOR following a legal battle, it has been confirmed.
The K-pop group and former NME Cover stars have been embroiled in a dispute with ADOR – a subsidiary of HYBE, South Korea’s biggest label. They announced last year that they would be departing the agency due to alleged mistreatment and manipulation. ADOR has denied these claims.
- READ MORE: NewJeans on The Cover: “We want to show the industry that music shouldn’t be divided by language”
On October 30, the Seoul Central District Court rejected NewJeans’ appeal to terminate their contract and agreement with ADOR in order to pursue independent activities.
As a result of this verdict, NewJeans were required to remain with ADOR exclusively until 2029. However, the five-piece said they would be filing an immediate appeal against the decision.
ADOR has shared an official statement on social media today (Wednesday November 12), saying that Hyein and Haerin had “expressed their intention to continue their activities” with the label (translated to English).
“After careful consideration with their families and thorough discussions with ADOR, the two members have made the decision to respect the court’s ruling and comply with the exclusive contract,” the message added.
“ADOR will do its utmost to ensure that Hyein and Haerin can continue their entertainment activities smoothly.
“We kindly ask for the warm support of our fans and respectfully request that you refrain from any unfounded speculation regarding the members. Thank you.”
The pair’s three bandmates – Hanni, Danielle and Minji – have also announced their decision to return to ADOR, according to reports. In response, ADOR commented: “We are checking on the truth of Minji, Hanni, and Danielle’s intent to return.”
You can see ADOR’s official statement in the post below.
[NOTICE] 어도어에서 알려드립니다.
뉴진스 멤버 해린과 혜인이 어도어와 함께 활동을 이어가겠다는 의사를 밝혀왔습니다.
두 멤버는 가족들과 함께 심사숙고하고 어도어와 충분한 논의를 거친 끝에,
법원의 판결을 존중하고 전속계약을 준수하겠다는 결정을 내렸습니다.
어도어는 해린과 혜인이…— ADOR (@alldoorsoneroom) November 12, 2025
None of the five members of NewJeans were present in court last month, but all five of them were ordered to bear the litigation costs of the legal dispute. The total amount to be paid has not yet been made public.
The band claimed that former ADOR head Min Hee-jin’s removal from the company had made them feel unprotected, and that the label was incapable of promoting NewJeans with the same care that Min had.
“It is difficult to conclude that merely the fact that Min Hee-jin was dismissed from her position as CEO of ADOR caused a gap in management duties for the NewJeans members or that ADOR lacks the plans or capabilities to perform those duties,” the court ruled two weeks ago.
It went on: “The exclusive contract does not stipulate anywhere that ADOR must entrust the management duties for NewJeans to Min Hee-jin. It cannot be considered a significant contractual obligation to guarantee Min Hee-jin’s position as ADOR’s CEO merely because NewJeans personally places high trust in her.
“Considering that ADOR released albums, prepared fan meetings, established plans for a world tour, and provided opportunities for events and commercial shoots even when NewJeans was not cooperating, it is difficult to conclude that ADOR cannot be expected to fulfil management services for NewJeans.”
NewJeans’s lawyer responded by saying that the trust between the group and their management had been “completely ruined”, adding that NewJeans would continue their fight (via BBC News).
The court had ruled over the summer that NewJeans were urged to honour their contracts with ADOR, and would not be legally permitted to engage in individual or group activities without the agency’s approval. Additionally, the court maintained that NewJeans’ allegations of mistreatment at the hands of ADOR had no standing due to a lack of evidence.
NewJeans’ intention to terminate their contracts with ADOR followed a lengthy legal battle between HYBE and Min Hee-jin for control of the band.
ADOR filed an injunction against the group in March, requesting to block them from carrying out independent activities under a different name. This came after the band independently rebranded themselves as ‘NJZ’ and were announced to perform at ComplexCon in Hong Kong.
The group would proceed with their ComplexCon performance, where they debuted a new song and announced an indefinite hiatus after a court ruled against the band’s rebranding.
“We have decided to stop all activities for the time being in accordance with the court ruling. It wasn’t an easy decision but a necessary one,” they told the audience, as reported by The Korea Times.
HYBE has multiple subsidiaries, including Big Hit Music, which is home to BTS.
