K-Pop group NewJeans was separated from the agency in the mistreatment row

The top of K-pop group NewJeans has said they are leaving their agency after accusing it of “mistreatment” and “manipulation”.

The five-piece girl band announced their departure from Ador, a subsidiary of powerhouse label Hybe, at a late-night press conference held on Thursday.

However, Ador has said that the contract with NewJeans still stands as the agency has not violated any terms.

The dispute is the latest development in a long-running conflict between former NewJeans producer Min Hee-Jin and Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk that has made headlines in South Korea.

One of the group’s members, Hanni, has claimed that she was subjected to harassment in the workplace while working with the label.

“This is not the type of work ethic we respect and not one we want to be a part of, and continuing to work under a company with no intention of protecting NewJeans would only do us harm,” Hanni said.

She added that the group had suffered “mistreatment, not only towards us but also towards our staff”, and said the group had experienced “deliberate miscommunication and manipulation in several areas”.

Ador maintains that its contract with NewJeans remains valid as it has not breached its duty and has asked the group to “continue their activities” with the agency.

“A unilateral allegation that trust has been breached does not constitute a valid reason for terminating a contract,” Ador said in the statement following the group’s announcement.

“We regret that the press conference on the termination of the contract took place without sufficient consideration and even before we gave our response to the demand letter,” the agency said.

NewJeans said they wanted to work with Min, the group’s former mastermind, who left Ador in August following allegations that she had planned to split from Hybe and take NewJeans with her.

This would have made NewJeans and Ador independent of Hybe. Min has denied the charges against her.

She has previously accused Hybe about launching another girl group, Illit, who copied NewJeans’ music and look.

On November 13, NewJeans filed a legal notice with Ador demanding that the company resolve breaches of their exclusive contracts within 14 days.

They said failure to meet their demands would result in the termination of their contracts.

The group has apologized for a comment allegedly made by an executive at Belift Lab, another subsidiary of Hybe, accusing the company of workplace bullying. They have also asked for the immediate reinstatement of Min.

They added that they would fulfill their contractual obligations, but at the conference warned their fans that they might not be able to use the band’s name after the end of the contract.

Prior to NewJeans’ announcement, the band was committed to a seven-year contract that expires in 2029.

The contract contains a clause that the parties can unilaterally terminate the contract if the other party has breached its duty. However, the case is likely to go to court as both sides do not agree. In such a scenario, a judge would decide whether the contract can be terminated and whether one side owes the other any damages.

In October, K-pop news site Koreaboo estimated that the members would have to pay about 300 billion South Korean won (approx. £170m) to terminate the contract early.

But group singer Haerin said it “didn’t make sense” that the group would be required to pay a breach of contract fee.

“We never broke any rules,” Haerin said. “We did nothing but try our best – they are to blame. Hybe and Ador are the ones responsible.”

Ador said it had not “violated” the terms of the contract, adding that it “respectfully requests the group to continue its cooperation with Ador on future activities”.

“Despite several requests for meetings with the artists, our efforts have not been successful. We hope that members will now be willing to engage in an open and honest discussion,” it said, referring to NewJeans.

The group has been embroiled in a years-long controversy with revisions and emotional accusations that have made South Korean headlines.

In October, a member of the group, Hanni, 20, testified at the Labor Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly at a hearing on harassment in the workplace.

She claimed that entertainment agency Hybe had deliberately undermined her band and accused senior executives of deliberately ignoring her.

After several incidents, she said, “I came to the realization that this was not just a feeling. I was honestly convinced that the company hated us.”

Hybe shares traded about 3% lower in Friday morning trading in Seoul.

NewJeans debuted in 2022 and is among Hybe’s most successful K-pop groups along with BTS.

With slick pop hits including Super Shy and OMG, NewJeans were the eighth best-selling act in the world last year and were nominated for Best Group at this year’s MTV Awards.

Formed by Ador in 2022, its five members – Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein – range in age from 16 to 20.