The year 2024 will be marked as a year of great turmoil for the K-pop group NewJeans. After an emergency press conference, the termination of the contract between the quintet and ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE Labels, was made official. ADOR is a well-known record label that manages groups like BTS, ILLIT, and TXT. This follows an emotional and surprising speech at the KGMA Awards where the members assured that, despite the group's uncertain future, NewJeans would never die.

Min Hee-Jin, the former art director of groups like SHINee and Girls' Generation, was at the helm of ADOR. Throughout the first quarter of the year, news broke that she would be removed from her position as CEO, bringing to light some controversial art directions and even allegations of plagiarism within and outside of HYBE.

After the news and a constant legal battle, accompanied by company leaks, one of the biggest conflicts between the two companies came to light: NewJeans. At the time of her dismissal, the group behind the viral hit "Super Shy" came to the defense of the creative director, exposing the mistreatment and intimidation they suffered within the company. This included interrupted communication, alleged scheduled breaks that would affect their careers, and instructions to employees and other HYBE members to avoid any communication with them.

Among the negative behaviors, Min Hee-Jin was the only one who treated them like human beings and fostered the group's growth. This led to a live broadcast on November 11th where they communicated that the company did not facilitate communication to resolve Min Hee-Jin's dismissal:

"We're not going to blindly follow all of HYBE's orders and we're very aware that this is going to keep interfering. This is a matter that affects the lives of the five of us and we can't just leave everything in the hands of the adults and wait, when it's us who are going through this. We feel it's more appropriate to speak for ourselves instead of doing nothing."

With this message, the members requested the reinstatement of Min Hee-Jin as CEO, the only person in the company who treated them like human beings and who is a fundamental part of the group. They demanded a response by November 25th, a response that came an hour before their emergency press conference on November 28th.

What we know so far is that NewJeans has left the company, stating that "(ADOR is) a company that lacks sincerity in the art of music, a company whose only concern is to make money and is unaware of the negative effect they create through our careers through their malicious actions."

The members have assured that they will fight for the NewJeans name which, more than just a name, tells the story of the 5 members and that their contract is not being violated. On the other hand, the controversial agency issued a statement saying that, as of now, the members are still under a valid contract and that they will fight to continue taking them to global success.

This case has highlighted the pressures and challenges faced by K-pop artists, especially those who are young and vulnerable. It has also sparked a debate about working conditions in the music industry and the importance of protecting artists' rights. We hope that this matter is resolved in favor of the members, as we want NewJeans for many years to come.