NewJeans Returns to ADOR, Concluding a Year-long Contract Dispute

K-pop girl group NewJeans — consisting of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein — has officially announced that all five members are returning to ADOR, marking the end of a nearly year-long contract dispute. The news was first reported by Yonhap News on November 12, confirming that Minji, Hanni, and Danielle would join Haerin and Hyein, who had already decided to return earlier that day.

In a statement issued earlier in the day, ADOR revealed that Haerin and Hyein had carefully discussed the situation with their families and decided to honor the court’s ruling by continuing under their existing contracts. ADOR added, “We will do our best to support the members’ smooth entertainment activities and ask for restraint from speculation.” Following the announcement, HYBE’s share price surged over 5 percent in after-hours trading.

The conflict began in November 2024, when NewJeans declared their contracts with ADOR nullified, citing a loss of trust. ADOR countered that the contracts remained valid and filed an injunction to prevent independent activities. On October 30, 2025, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of ADOR, finding insufficient evidence of a contractual breach and confirming the validity of the agreement through 2029.

Following the court decision, former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin established ooak Co., Ltd, sparking widespread speculation about NewJeans’s next steps. On November 12, Haerin and Hyein first announced their return, and later the remaining three members issued their own joint statement confirming reconciliation with ADOR. The group’s official Instagram subsequently updated with the post ‘NewJeans Returns,’ confirming the quintet’s renewed activities together.

The dispute has been one of the most closely watched artist-agency conflicts in K-pop history. Korean media outlets note that NewJeans’s reconciliation with ADOR signals stabilization within HYBE and ADOR and sets the stage for the group’s upcoming full album. ADOR confirmed that production preparations have been completed and that details of the comeback will be revealed soon.

Since their 2022 debut with hits such as ‘Attention,’ ‘Hype Boy,’ and ‘Super Shy,’ NewJeans has become one of the defining girl groups of the new generation. With the dispute resolved, industry insiders expect a full-scale comeback and world tour to commence in early 2026.