NewJeans: Members of K-pop group say they are leaving agency ADOR after disagreement

Seoul, South Korea
Reuters
—

Members of NewJeans, one of the most popular K-pop groups, said Thursday that they are leaving their agency ADOR, a subsidiary of powerhouse label HYBE.

However, ADOR said the agreement between it and the band members “remains in full effect.”

“Therefore, we respectfully request that the group continue its cooperation with ADOR on future activities, as has been the practice to date,” the firm said in a statement.

NewJeans has been caught up in conflicts between executives of parent company HYBE and ADOR’s former CEO, who is the band’s creative director.

The latest controversy in the K-pop scene has gripped South Korea this year, with accusations, audits and an emotional press conference making headlines.

The five NewJeans members held a late-night press conference to announce their departure from the agency, saying they wanted to work with Min Hee-jin, ADOR’s former chief, who left the agency this month.

“When we leave ADOR, we will try to continue freely with the activities that we really want,” said Danielle, one of the band members.

“We really want to be able to release new music for the Bunnies, next year, as soon as possible, whenever,” she said, referring to their fans. “We really hope we get the opportunity to meet you from all over the world.”

The members said that they might not be able to use the band’s name when they terminated the contract with ADOR.