NewJeans celebrated Min Heejin’s birthday amid their contract dispute with ADOR, highlighting their gratitude toward the former CEO. This public display of affection intensified their ongoing contract dispute with ADOR, leading to tampering allegations. Industry associations demanded clarification, while public reactions remained divided over the controversy.
NewJeans Celebrates Min Heejin’s Birthday
On November 16, NewJeans shared a birthday message for former ADOR CEO Min Heejin on social media. The post read, “Happy Birthday, Min Heejin CEO! ♥” Min Heejin turned 46 that day. The members honored her role in their journey to becoming a leading girl group, showing their appreciation.
NewJeans Faces Contract Dispute with ADOR
Amid this celebration, NewJeans entered a contract dispute with ADOR. On November 28, the five members held a press conference in Gangnam, Seoul. They declared their intent to terminate their exclusive contract. The group stated that ADOR failed to fulfill its duty to protect them. They expressed frustration, saying the agency showed neither the will nor the ability to support them.
Reasons Behind NewJeans’ Decision to Leave ADOR
The members voiced their concerns clearly. They said, “Staying here wastes our time and prolongs our mental suffering.” They also emphasized, “There is nothing more to gain professionally.” For these reasons, all five members saw no justification to remain with ADOR. On December 14, they created a new Instagram account, jeanzforfree, to communicate independently. By 11 a.m. that day, the account gained over 2.5 million followers.
NewJeans Faces Industry Pressure Amid Contract Dispute
The contract dispute drew attention from major K-pop organizations. The Korea Music Content Association, the Korea Management Federation, and the Korea Entertainment Producers Association issued statements. They asked NewJeans and Min Heejin to explain allegations of tampering. These demands sparked controversy on the Korean community site instiz, which supports Min Heejin and NewJeans.
NewJeans Faces Potential Repercussions
On instiz, many users criticized the associations’ demands, questioning why third parties pressured NewJeans. Comments suggested ignoring the requests, viewing them as intimidation. However, the Korea Music Content Association warned of serious consequences. They considered removing NewJeans from the Circle Chart. This exclusion would affect music broadcasts and award shows that rely on Circle Chart data, posing a significant threat to the group.
Here’s a link to instiz.
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It seems the allegations of tampering are more like facts. NewJeans is playing with fire. In Korea, contracts are generally considered absolute. I can’t understand why they would break their contract so easily.