On November 12, 2025, news broke that NewJeans would return to ADOR. The label first announced the comeback of Haerin and Hyein, adding only a brief note that it was “confirming the intentions” of the other three members. Two and a half hours later, Minji, Hanni, and Danielle each conveyed their intention to return through their respective law firms. Their statements included a curious line: one member (presumed to be Hanni) was “currently in Antarctica,” causing a delay. Antarctica? The unexpected word somehow encapsulated just how surreal the past year had been for the group.
The story traces back to April 2024. HYBE launched an emergency audit of its subsidiary ADOR, accusing CEO Min Hee-jin of attempting to seize management control and break away. HYBE filed a criminal complaint against her for breach of trust. Min responded immediately with a press conference, forcefully denying the allegations and even claiming that fellow HYBE girl groups—LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT—had copied NewJeans’ concepts. A court later rejected the plagiarism claims, but by then the named artists were already facing an onslaught of malicious comments and ridicule. That secondary harm soon turned toward NewJeans themselves. Narratives such as “a righteous rebellion” and, conversely, “tearing down other girl groups to protect themselves” began to cling to them like a shadow.
In December 2024, ADOR filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court seeking confirmation that the exclusive contract signed with NewJeans in 2022 remained valid until July 31, 2029. The label simultaneously sought an injunction to prevent the members from engaging in independent activities or signing advertising deals. The battleground shifted from press conferences and livestreams to legal documents and court rulings. NewJeans could only wait—helpless—while others decided their future.
The members tried to chart a different path. In February 2025, they changed their social media profiles to “NJZ” and signaled independent activity. They even took the stage at Hong Kong’s ComplexCon under that name, performing a new song. It was a bold attempt to forge a path without the “NewJeans” name. But the effort did not last. The court granted ADOR’s injunction request, prohibiting any independent activity without the label’s consent, followed by a secondary ruling imposing 1 billion KRW in indirect compulsory fines for each violation. The decision was written in stiff legal language, but in plain terms, it meant: “Whatever you do, don’t.”
Here, a difference in legal culture becomes apparent. In countries like Germany, where breaches of trust or violations of personality rights are more broadly recognized as grounds for terminating long-term contracts, the mental distress and relational breakdown described by the members might have carried greater legal weight. But the Korean court held that such issues were not sufficient to dissolve the exclusive contract. Their mental health concerns and accusations of trust breakdown became subjects of sympathy and debate—but not factors that altered the legal conclusion. In the end, only two choices remained: return, or give up everything.
The decisive day came on October 30, 2025. The court confirmed that the exclusive contract was valid through July 31, 2029, and ruled that Min Hee-jin’s dismissal did not constitute a management vacuum. NewJeans initially signaled an appeal, but ultimately withdrew it in mid-November, finalizing the first-trial judgment. Their resistance ended there, and NewJeans was left with no choice but to return to ADOR.
So what kind of group was NewJeans? When they debuted in 2022, they reinterpreted the freshness and innocence of 1990s girl groups with a contemporary sensibility, capturing not only teens and young adults, but also a surprisingly large following among men and women in their 30s and 40s.
When “Attention” and “Hype Boy” were released, reactions included: “The creative direction is spot on,” “It’s K-pop, but it doesn’t feel like K-pop,” and “This isn’t a manufactured version of teens—it’s what real teens look like today.” When “Ditto” dropped, the response grew even stronger. The VHS texture, camcorder POV, school gym and track field locales, the blend of analog sentiment and modern trendiness—fans said, “This feels like an indie film,” “I didn’t know an idol MV could have this kind of emotional arc,” and “I’ve never seen fan–idol relationships told this way.” With approachable music, broad appeal, and consistent visual direction and branding, NewJeans carved out a distinct territory and earned widespread praise as “a triumph of creative direction.”
At the center of that success was the role of the creative director. NewJeans demonstrated more clearly than any other K-pop team how a creative director can build a brand infused with a group’s unique identity—naming the group, designing its debut, styling, album artwork, music video tone, teaser copy, even the narrative framework of fan engagement. Min Hee-jin, as NewJeans’ creative director, operated almost like a sixth member, directing every aspect. The members fully understood that creative direction and executed it with their voices, bodies, and presence. NewJeans’ impact was possible because brilliant creative direction was fully realized—and because all five members were able to embody it perfectly.
Now, that harmony is no longer possible. NewJeans must return to the label without Min Hee-jin. After news of their return spread, some LE SSERAFIM fans staged a truck protest in front of HYBE headquarters, displaying LED messages like “No forced reconciliation. Separate the buildings.” In reality, the two groups are unlikely to encounter each other, but the atmosphere among the HYBE labels has undeniably changed. Alongside the voices welcoming the return, there is also tension: Can everything that happened simply be swept aside?
ADOR’s situation is not simple, either. The label must decide how to maintain the group’s lineup, whom to hire as NewJeans’ new creative director, how much authority that person will receive, and whether nurturing a “second Min Hee-jin” is a risk—or whether they will avoid bold creative experimentation altogether. It is also unclear whether ADOR will fully prioritize NewJeans moving forward. Other girl groups have already found their footing, and the fan–fandom tensions exposed during the dispute cannot be ignored. It remains uncertain whether ADOR fought for NewJeans’ future—or simply fought a battle it refused to lose. Externally and internally, the environment surrounding NewJeans is far from favorable.
Even within the group, the split timing and method of announcements—two members first, then three—suggest questions about cohesion going forward. It is unclear how much the young members’ own musical and creative preferences will be reflected. Whether they will be paired with a creative director on Min Hee-jin’s level, or become merely one of them within a larger system, remains unknown. The return is decided, but everything else is obscured by fog.
In trying to protect their mentor, the members also faced criticism for tone-deaf remarks and missteps. Statements meant to sound firm came off as arrogant, and their attempts to adopt the language of adults resulted in awkward expressions. But how much could these young girls have known? Caught in a massive dispute that even adults struggle to endure, the only things they could cling to were their mentor and the creative identity they believed in. They endured intense backlash, and they carried its weight alone. Perhaps the intentions behind their actions—the desire to protect someone they trusted—can be acknowledged, even if the missteps themselves are criticized. There were unintended victims, yes, but there will hopefully be opportunities to apologize and make amends.
Now the important part is what comes next. NewJeans’ future is in ADOR’s hands. The label’s decisions from here on will be crucial. My plea to ADOR is simple: do not replace any of the five members. Appoint a dedicated creative director for NewJeans and give them sufficient authority. Do not let the group lose its distinctive identity and musicality.
The rest is up to NewJeans. The sadness, turmoil, litigation, rebellion, defeat, and return they experienced over the past year are now their own unique artistic assets. Suffering that only they have endured may one day become a message only they can deliver. “As I emerged from the long tunnel of the border, it was snow country,” goes the famous line. After running through darkness for a year, may these five girls finally step onto a stage bursting with light. They may have been criticized, but they kept their loyalty. They deserve another chance to stand on stage—and a chance to apologize where needed. My hope for ADOR is this: Haerin, Hyein, Minji, Hanni, Danielle—let these five members return to the stage as a complete NewJeans once again. That is how you preserve a girl group with a story of its own.
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By Sunjae Park
Editor, Korea Insight Weekly