Juggernaut girl group NewJeans has broken out of the typically secret world of K-pop by accusing its record label of mistreatment in an emergency press conference in Seoul.
The band, which has two Australian members, organised the press conference to announce they were going to terminate their exclusive contract with ADOR, a sub-label under global powerhouse HYBE.
“We have faced mistreatment not just toward us but also toward our staff, countless preventions and contradictions, deliberate miscommunication, and manipulation regarding multiple areas,” NewJeans member Hanni said.
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Hanni, who is from Melbourne, said ADOR “no longer has any sincerity in the art of music that is created, is rather fixated on appearing like a well-working company despite only having thoughts about making money, and does not have any conscience about the negative effect they create through their non-authentic means”.
At the press conference on November 28, the group acknowledged they may not be able to continue using the NewJeans name.
“However, that doesn’t mean that we are giving up on the name at all, and we will continue to fight for NewJeans. Regardless of our name, just remember that NewJeans never dies,” Danielle, who is from Newcastle on NSW’s Hunter coast, said.
The record label said they were not aware NewJeans had planned an emergency press conference and responded with a formal statement.
“We are disappointed that the press conference was conducted without proper review and before receiving a reply to the letter of demand. ADOR, as a party to the exclusive contract, has not violated the agreement, and claiming that trust has been broken does not constitute valid grounds for termination,” the label said.
The statement from ADOR also noted “the exclusive contract between ADOR and NewJeans remains valid”.
“We ask that NewJeans continues to work with us as per the agreed schedule,” the statement continued.
KPop fans believe there’s a connection between NewJeans’ intention to terminate their contract and the public feud between ADOR and its former CEO, Min Hee-jin.
According to Koreaboo, Min Hee-jin resigned from ADOR this month after a five-year tenure, citing irreconcilable differences with HYBE over creative autonomy and management practices.
Min Hee-jin was a pivotal figure in NewJeans’ creation and branding.
“We want to continue working with CEO Min Hee Jin,” NewJeans member Minji said.
And when asked if she has anything to say to HYBE founder Bang Si Hyuk, Minji said: “We don’t have anything to say to that person separately.”
The K-Pop industry has been consistently under the microscope for its treatment of artists, power dynamics between labels and creatives, and concerns about mental health and exploitation. Now, thanks to NewJeans’ very public stance, public perception about creative autonomy in the industry has been challenged.
JoongAng Daily reported that some 100 reporters attended the NewJeans press conference despite it being called only a few hours earlier.
NewJeans have been one of the fastest-rising K-pop groups since their debut two years ago. Their EP Get Up debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 in 2023, making them the fastest K-pop group to achieve this milestone.
This is a developing story.