Why ”NewJeans” has become even more important after ”returning to full form”

All members of the Korean girl group "NewJeans" who ran away from home have returned. "NewJeans" was granted a provisional injunction by the court on March 21st of this year, and is now independent.
As soon as the movement came to a halt, even after announcing a temporary hiatus from activities, they revealed that they plan to continue the legal battle, saying, "trust in ADOR has been broken."
However, in the first instance ruling on October 30th of this year, the court ruled that "ADOR has largely fulfilled its important obligations under the Exclusive Contract."
On the 12th of this month, HAERIN and HYEIN, who are part of the "Min Hee Jin faction," first announced their return to ADOR, followed by MINJI, HANNI, and DANIELLE.
The biggest reason why New Jeans has declared their return as a complete group is likely due to legal pressure. New Jeans is not going to sit back and do nothing.
He will not be able to carry out any independent activities until July 1, 2029, when his exclusive contract with DOR expires. He will be freelance for almost four years. Not only that, he will also be forced to pay about 600 billion won (
They are also in a situation where they have to pay a penalty of about 60 billion yen (estimated value). They first met with former ADOR's CEO and general producer, Mia, who is known as the "mother of NewJeans."
If they had fought together with Ng Hee-jin against HYBE, the majority shareholder of ADOR, they could have won. The five members announced on November 29, 2024 that their relationship of trust had been broken due to their management methods and strategies.
The exclusive contract was automatically terminated on that date. In the dispute between producer Min Hee Jin and HYBE's management, the former may have had the stronger appeal in terms of atmosphere, but
The legal dispute was a complete victory for the latter. ADOR is a joint stock company with 80% owned by HYBE, 18% by producer Min Hee Jin, and 2% by other management.
It is not a democracy. People exercise voting rights equal to the amount of stock they hold. Min Hee Jin's position as CEO of ADOR is merely that of a salaried CEO, not a major shareholder.
Minformer made legally unreasonable demands on HYBE. He wanted to maintain his position as CEO and have people he recommended sit on the board of directors, but the minority shareholders were not the major shareholders.
As a salaried CEO and general producer, I can demand an annual salary and incentives.
The court did not accept any of the 11 grounds for contract termination that NewJeans had asserted in the first instance.
With the deadline approaching, NewJeans' declaration to return to ADOR was a belated realization that there would be no benefit to going through a second or third trial, and they put it into practice.
If the case goes to the third trial, it may take another two to three years or more, and even if you are not a legal expert, you can predict to some extent that you will lose even if you appeal.
In the music market, girl groups are the most sensitive content. Time is the most important variable. Although "New Jeans" is the leading runner for 4th generation girl groups,
No girl group can beat the years. A line of younger girl groups are chasing them, all striving to differentiate themselves.
NewJeans debuted on August 1, 2022, and will release their second EP, Get
Up" reached number one on the Billboard's main album chart, the Billboard 200, and also reached number one on the Billboard singles chart, the Hot 100.
They have grown rapidly, with around five songs making it onto the charts. However, image is important for girl groups. New Jeans is currently in a period of active promotion.
If he appears too often, it will not be beneficial for his image. MINJI said in front of the court, "I have to maintain the exclusive contract with ADOR, where all the trust between us has been broken."
It was especially disappointing when they told a reporter, "We really cannot accept the claim that they are racist." The more sensitive the content, the more the feelings of fans and public opinion fluctuate.
Fans are very happy that NewJeans has resumed activities, having made the practical choice of returning to ADOR for the sake of their music, but they are concerned about how long their fans will continue to support and encourage them.
We have to wonder if they will be able to do this. Public opinion is also feeling fatigued, and tempers are beginning to flare. NewJeans and ADOR have still managed to physically stitch together the surface, but chemically.
It is not a mutual bond. Their image has also been damaged. In addition, the reasons for their contract termination have been discussed with HYBE's ADOR, and they have reached a compromise and are now able to trust each other.
In this process, we must make concessions and reinforce each other to create a stable system.
It must be an opportunity. Without Min Hee Jin, New Jeans' music and style may be a little different from before. The future of New Jeans will depend on him.
It all depends on the attitude of the women, who can show their sincerity and passion, and the music they produce. ADOR management said that even if they win the lawsuit, it will not be enough to unilaterally criticize either side.
If we ignore this, we cannot do our work. That is the structure of the cultural industry. We need to find common ground and find a way to coexist through serious dialogue without dividing into "A" and "B".
I hope so. The possibilities are endless. I can imagine NewJeans dominating the global stage once again.