The group NewJeans (MinJi, Hanni, Danielle, HaeRin, HyeIn) has announced the termination of their exclusive contract with their agency ADORA, creating a significant impact in the industry. They have chosen an independent path without tedious lawsuits, attracting considerable attention.
At an emergency press conference held on the 28th in Gangnam, Seoul, NewJeans officially announced, “We will terminate our contract with ADORA starting at midnight on the 29th.” Their split was somewhat anticipated amid conflicts with HYBE and the former ADORA representative, Min HeeJin. NewJeans had previously sided with the former representative and sent a notice of contract termination, stating they would terminate the contract if he was not reinstated. However, the focus of this contract termination announcement is the ‘no-lawsuit strategy.’
At the press conference, NewJeans stated, “The termination is due to a breach of contract by HYBE and ADORA, and there are no restrictions on our activities without a lawsuit.” They emphasized that they did not breach the contract and therefore have no reason to pay penalties.
Traditionally, artists would typically seek legal judgment through an application for a provisional injunction to suspend the validity of the exclusive contract during disputes with their agencies. NewJeans’ no-lawsuit strategy was unprecedented, and the legal community explained that contract termination takes effect upon unilateral notification.
Legal experts explained that NewJeans’ decision to terminate the exclusive contract was strategic because “filing an injunction lawsuit would prevent them from moving until a conclusion is reached, but terminating the contract without a lawsuit allows them to continue their activities.” This choice was possible because NewJeans is an artist with strong influence both domestically and internationally.
ADORA may consider legal action to prevent NewJeans from continuing their activities. However, this could contradict ADORA’s position, causing trust issues within the company.
NewJeans declared their freedom through the separation from ADORA, and ADORA hopes to resolve this situation through dialogue and negotiation. HYBE stated, “ADORA has been notified of the termination of the exclusive contract by NewJeans, and we plan to respond appropriately.” The future developments and actions are closely watched.
This article has been written by Kpopmap AI writer and while we have made efforts to ensure the accuracy of the article, there may be errors or inaccuracies.