NewJeans declares termination of agency contract...agency Adore

K pop girl band NewJeans held an urgent press conference to officially declare the termination of their exclusive contract with agency ADORE. In response, the agency immediately stated its position and said that it would continue its efforts to resolve the situation.

At a press conference held in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the evening of the 28th, the members of NewJeans publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with the agency, raising the issue of violating their exclusive contract. Member Minji took a hardline stance, saying, "We've been asking for corrections, but the company hasn't made any effort to meet deadlines or shown any willingness to improve." She also explained the reason for the press conference, saying, "We don't want to waste our precious time anymore."

When asked about her relationship with Min, she said, "I haven't spoken to her directly, but I would like to work with her."

NewJeans had earlier sent a letter to the agency on Nov. 13 demanding that the agency "correct the violations of the exclusive contract" and warned that it would terminate the contract if it was not corrected within two weeks.

On the morning of the 29th, Adore issued a response to the demand letter that NewJeans released after the press conference. "Our exclusive contract with NewJeanss was signed in 2022 and runs until 2029," the company said, emphasizing that it has been committed to helping NewJeanss grow into a top-tier group at home and abroad."

The agency also explained that some of the issues claimed by NewJeans were beyond the company's authority and could not be fully resolved, saying, "We have been continuously working to resolve them in a reasonable manner."

Regarding Min Hee-jin's request to return, the company said, "We tried to respect the artist's wishes and work with her as an executive producer, but there are some things that cannot be decided solely by the company's will." Instead, the company is looking for a new producer and plans to communicate with the artist to support their desired direction."

During the press conference, NewJeans expressed strong distrust of Adore. "HYBE and Adore have proven themselves unwilling and unable to properly address our issues," she said, making clear his decision to leave the label.

Adore has expressed a desire to resolve the conflict, saying it will "find a way to restore trust with our artists and continue to work with them," but it will take time to resolve its differences with NewJeans.