NewJeans has claimed that one of the major backgrounds for their declaration of contract termination with Ador, a subsidiary under HYBE, effective November 29, 2024, is the distortion and leakage of the 'music industry report (hereafter report),' allegedly perpetrated by Min Hee-jin, the former head of Ador. An email suggesting that Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of HYBE, connected NewJeans with top producers in the United States was also revealed for the first time.
During the main arguments in the 'injunction to preserve the status of the agency and prohibit contract signing' held at the Seoul Central District Court on the 7th, Ador stated that the only person who viewed the document just before it was distorted and leaked on October 22, 2024, was the former head, Min. They argued that malicious editing and the distortion of meaning could not be grounds for the termination of the exclusive contract.
The report leaked in October 2024 caused controversy due to its content stating, 'Let’s discard Newar (NewJeans, ILY:1, LE SSERAFIM) and rearrange.' NewJeans has reported that their parent company HYBE planned to abandon them, urging Ador to take necessary measures regarding this in a certified letter that considered contract termination.
HYBE and Ador countered that the report was written as of May 10, 2023, before the debut of ILY:1. They pointed out that the media referred to NewJeans, IVE, and LE SSERAFIM collectively as 'Newar,' and explained that the relevant part of the document suggested a new categorization due to the comment attacks against LE SSERAFIM.
Ador presented evidence that the report was sent to former head Min and Shin Dong-hoon, the former vice head of Ador, at the time of its preparation in May 2023 without any issues being raised. It is unreasonable to include content about abandoning NewJeans in a report received by Ador’s management.
Ador also cited as evidence that they continued to produce reports summarizing community reactions related to NewJeans and presenting success strategies, demonstrating ongoing support for NewJeans.
In response to claims that HYBE, the parent company, felt inferiority and jealousy over the success of NewJeans, planned and produced by the former head Min, and intentionally discriminated, excluded, and attacked NewJeans, Ador strongly stated, 'On the contrary, we have provided special support.' They also presented new evidence that Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of HYBE, had sought to connect NewJeans with top producers.
On that day, Ador revealed an email sent by Chairman Bang to Shin Dong-hoon, then vice head of Ador, on January 12, 2024.
In the email, Bang stated, 'Since I have been staying in the U.S. for a long time, I have had many exchanges with excellent producers at the top level (S tier). Among them, there are those who want to work with NewJeans. How would you suggest we consolidate these connections?'