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All 5 NewJeans members to return to Ador
The five members of K-pop girl group NewJeans, from left, Hanni, Minji, Hyein, Haerin and Danielle, speak to the press after attending a court hearing on March 7 at the Seoul Central District Court. Newsis
By Pyo Kyung-min
Agency welcomes back Haerin, Hyein, while verifying statement of remaining three
All five members of K-pop girl group NewJeans — Minji, Danielle, Hanni, Haerin and Hyein — have expressed their desire to resume activities under Ador.
Following Haerin and Hyein's confirmed return to the music label, the other three members released a statement Wednesday evening expressing their desire to return to their old agency.
"After careful discussions, we have decided to return to Ador. One of our members is currently in Antarctica, so the communication was delayed and since Ador has not yet responded, we had no choice but to share our position separately," a statement released by Minji, Danielle and Hanni said.
In response, Ador said it is “in the process of verifying the authenticity” of the three members’ decision.
Earlier this afternoon, the HYBE subsidiary released a statement announcing the return of the two members.
"Haerin and Hyein have expressed their intention to continue working with Ador," the label said in an official statement. "After careful consideration with their families and sufficient discussions with the agency, they decided to respect the court's ruling and comply with their exclusive contracts."
The K-pop label said it will fully support the two members' return to the stage and asked fans to refrain from speculating about the group.
The announcement comes after the Seoul Central District Court ruled on Oct. 30 that all five members of NewJeans must honor their exclusive contracts with Ador through 2029, rejecting their attempt to terminate the agreements early.
The group's legal battle with the company began after the dismissal of former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin, who was removed from her position in August 2024 during a management conflict with parent company HYBE Labels. Following her ouster, the members demanded her reinstatement and later claimed their contracts with Ador had been terminated, alleging breaches of agreement.
Ador maintained that the contracts remained valid and filed a lawsuit seeking confirmation of their exclusivity, along with an injunction to prevent the members from pursuing independent activities.
The five-piece group last performed together in March under the temporary name NJZ for a concert in Hong Kong.