Ador terminates contract with NewJeans’ Danielle

SEOUL – Ador announced on Dec 29 the termination of its exclusive contract with NewJeans member Danielle (right).

The company said it had held multiple discussions with Minji, Hani and Danielle, as well as their families, following the October court ruling that confirmed the validity of the NewJeans members’ contracts.

Hanni will rejoin the agency and Minji is still in talks, it added, but the agency concluded that it will be difficult for Danielle to continue as part of the group or with the agency. The two youngest members, Haerin and Hyein,

officially announced their return to Ador in November

.

Ador said it seeks to hold a family member of Danielle, along with Ador’s former chief executive Min Hee-jin, legally accountable for their part in sowing the division that led to the prolonged legal dispute with the company.

The quintet had been embroiled in a legal dispute since November 2024, when their members suddenly held a press conference announcing the termination of their exclusive contract with Ador. The label responded in December by filing a lawsuit seeking confirmation of contract validity.

Ador also requested injunctions to prevent the members from pursuing independent activities or entering advertisement contracts without the agency’s consent until the main lawsuit had concluded.

In February, the group announced plans to continue their activities under a new team name, NJZ, but the court accepted Ador’s injunction request, effectively halting the rebranded group’s operations.

Subsequent appeals and objections filed by the members were all dismissed.

In May, the court approved Ador’s request for indirect compulsory execution. It ruled that each NewJeans member had to pay one billion won (S$897,500) to Ador for each violation if they engaged in entertainment activities without the label’s approval.

As their activities were suspended by the court order, the girl group have since stayed inactive. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK