Mediation Between NewJeans and ADOR Fails. What Now?
The mediation between NewJeans (NJZ) members and their agency ADOR collapsed. On August 14, Danielle and Minji appeared at the Seoul Central District Court, sat for about one hour and twenty minutes behind closed doors, and left with just a brief “We’re sorry.”
Can this group and their agency ever reconcile, or is the October 30th hearing the final act?
What’s Fueling the Conflict?
At the heart of this standoff is a bitter power struggle between HYBE, ADOR’s majority owner, and Min Hee-jin, the former ADOR CEO and creative director for NewJeans.
HYBE asserts that its 80% stake entitles it to management control and accuses Min Hee-jin of threatening to wrest independence.
Min argues HYBE violated ADOR’s creative autonomy, delayed NewJeans’ debut, and favored other artists, leading to her dismissal in August 2024.
In November 2024, NewJeans declared the contracts invalid and began independent activities under the name “NJZ,” prompting ADOR to file a lawsuit. Courts sided with ADOR, blocking NewJeans from pursuing independent activities, citing insufficient evidence that trust had permanently broken down.
Why Did The Mediation Fail?
The August 14 session was a court-mandated attempt to find common ground. Both sides brought representatives and decision-makers to the table but neither budged.
For ADOR, it’s about enforcing a valid, exclusive contract they claim still binds NewJeans. For NewJeans, it’s about returning things to the way they were before Min Hee Jin left, either with the original team intact or with new arrangements. This mediation was the final chance to avoid a binding ruling.
What Comes Next: Mediation, Verdict, and Possible Fallout
Another mediation is scheduled for September 11. If that effort fails as well, a legally binding verdict is expected on October 30.
If that verdict affirms the contract’s validity, NewJeans may be forced back under ADOR’s management…or at least prevent them from pursuing independent activities.
If the ruling goes in NewJeans’ favor, they could either become independent or seek a new label. But even then, restoring public trust, maintaining fan support, and sustaining their brand amid the dramatic fallout will be challenging.
As NewJeans and ADOR head back into talks, the outcome will not only shape the group’s future, it may influence the boundaries of artists’ rights across the genre.
