Two members of NewJeans, Haerin and Hyein, are returning to their record label ADOR after a year of legal disputes.
In a statement shared on Wednesday (Nov. 12), ADOR announced the members would resume working with the company.
"NewJeans' members Haerin and Hyein have expressed their intent to continue their activities with ADOR. After careful consideration and thorough discussions with their families, the two members have decided to respect the court's ruling and uphold their exclusive contracts," the company shared, according to Soompi.
The company added that it would "do our utmost so that Haerin and Hyein can continue their entertainment activities smoothly," while asking fans to avoid "unfounded speculations about the members."
Following their statement, the remaining members—Minji, Hanni, and Danielle—also expressed their decision to return.
In a joint message also shared on Wednesday, they wrote, "Hello. This is Minji, Hanni, and Danielle. Recently, we decided on our return to ADOR after careful discussion. This was relayed late as one member is currently in Antarctica, but as ADOR is not responding at the moment, we are inevitably announcing this through a separate statement. We will continue greeting you with sincere music and performances. Thank you."
In response, ADOR commented briefly that it was "checking on the truth of Minji, Hanni, and Danielle's intent to return."
This development followed a long dispute between NewJeans and ADOR.
In November 2024, the group held an emergency press conference announcing its intention to leave the agency, citing unresolved issues and workplace harassment, and calling for former CEO Min Hee-jin's reinstatement after her dismissal in August 2024.
ADOR maintained that the artists' contracts remained valid and filed a lawsuit seeking court confirmation.
In February, the members launched a new group name, NJZ, to pursue independent projects, including a performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong the following month.
At the end of their ComplexCon Hong Kong performance, the artists announced they would pause all promotions after the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of an injunction from ADOR forbidding the members from carrying out any independent activities and signing advertisement contracts as “NJZ.” The group subsequently removed all “NJZ” branding from their social media accounts.
After an appeal, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on Oct. 30 that the contracts were valid.
The K-pop quintet made its debut in 2022 and gained popularity for hits like “Hype Boy,” “Super Shy,” and “OMG.” The record label ADOR is a subsidiary of entertainment company HYBE, which is home to other K-pop juggernauts like BTS, Seventeen, and Katseye.