Minji, Danielle and Hanni Wasted No Time Returning to ADOR Once Hyein and Haerin Did
K-pop group NewJeans is officially returning to their agency, ADOR.
Members Minji, Hanni, and Danielle announced through an official statement on November 12th that they “have decided to return to ADOR after careful deliberation.”
The three members explained, “One of us is currently in Antarctica, which caused a delay in our announcement. We decided to share our statement separately since we didn’t receive a response from ADOR.” They added, “We’ll keep bringing you heartfelt music and performances. Thank you.”
>> NewJeans Members Haerin and Hyein Return to ADOR After Court Ruling
Yesterday, ADOR confirmed that members Haerin and Hyein had expressed their intention to continue activities with the agency. The company stated that “the two members decided to respect the court’s ruling and abide by their exclusive contracts after careful consideration with their families and extensive discussions with ADOR.”
Hyein’s Father Reportedly Played Key Role in Haerin’s Return to ADOR
The focus on family in ADOR’s statement drew attention, particularly given the young ages of Haerin (born 2006) and Hyein (born 2008), who are minors. Reports indicate that Hyein’s father, the only NewJeans parent to oppose the termination of the exclusive contract, persuaded both Hyein and Haerin to return to the agency. He had reportedly even filed a civil lawsuit against his wife to gain legal guardianship and stop her from pursuing such a lawsuit.
Last month, a court ruling rejected all of NewJeans’ claims in their lawsuit to terminate their exclusive contracts. The court confirmed that “the exclusive contract in question remains valid” and that “ADOR holds the position of management company for NewJeans according to this contract.” Although NewJeans initially announced plans to appeal the decision, no appeal has been filed to date.
Fan and Public Reactions to NewJeans’ Return to ADOR
Meanwhile, Team Bunnies also announced plans to resume their original role. They stated, “We respect the members’ decisions in any situation,” and emphasized that they are an independent organization from the agency.
Public reaction to the members’ return has been largely critical.
One netizen posted on an online forum titled, “NewJeans Members Are Returning, Are They Insane?” writing, “Shouldn’t all HYBE employees wear bodycams?” and “They went on BBC, criticized K-pop, Korean media, and the courts and now see what they are doing.”
Other comments included: “Minji, Hanni, Danielle, if you don’t hear back from ADOR, you wait; you don’t go to press and announce it like you are in charge”, “They leave as they please and return as they please”, “I know it’s late now, but they have to go back because their future is bleak, yet there’s no sign of humbling themselves or apologizing. It’s disgusting how they still release statements like that.”
