In a surprise announcement made just hours before the deadline for NewJeans to appeal the recent court ruling, ADOR confirmed that members Hyein and Haerin will return to the company and resume activities with the group. Shortly thereafter in a joint statement, Minji, Dannielle, and Hanni also signal their intent to return.
In an official statement posted on ADOR’s X accpunt, the label wrote:
ADOR’s announcement on X signaling Hyein and Haerin’s return to the label
[Translated] ADOR stated that both members, after careful consideration with their families and discussions with the company, have decided to respect the court’s ruling and honor their exclusive contracts. The company added that it will “do its utmost” to support their continued activities.
The announcement, which garnered over 22 million views within hours, marked a major turning point in the ongoing dispute between ADOR and its sole artist, NewJeans.
Shortly after ADOR’s post, NewJeans members Danielle, Hanni, and Minji released a joint statement signaling their own intent to return. The trio explained that one member’s remote location in Antarctica delayed their ability to respond sooner, and that in the absence of a response from ADOR, they felt compelled to issue their message directly.
ADOR later issued a brief follow-up, saying it would “work to confirm the intentions of the remaining members.”
The conflict between ADOR and NewJeans began after a HYBE-initiated audit of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin in Spring of 2024, investigating allegations that she had sought to separate the subsidiary label — and NewJeans — from HYBE’s control. Following Min’s dismissal, NewJeans members filed formal complaints alleging mistreatment and requesting contractual corrections, granting ADOR a standard 14-day negotiation period often used in the Korean entertainment industry.
When members felt insufficient progress had been made by late 2024, they submitted formal declarations to terminate their contracts in November 2024, later continuing activities under the temporary name NJZ during the ensuing legal battle.
NewJeans Emergency Press Conference Nov. 28th
Earlier this month, the court ruled in ADOR’s favor, upholding the company’s contracts with the members. With today’s developments — Hyein and Haerin’s official return and the other three members’ stated intent to follow — the long-disputed relationship between ADOR and NewJeans appears to be moving toward reconciliation.
