Min Hee Jin has shared her thoughts after all five members of NewJeans announced their return to ADOR. On November 13, 2025, Min released a statement saying she respects and supports the group’s decision.
The last 24 hours were quite dramatic in recent K-pop history. Hyein and Haerin chose to honor the court ruling and returned to ADOR on November 12. An hour later, the remaining NewJeans members, Danielle, Minji, and Hanni, released a statement through their law firm and revealed their intention to return to ADOR.
Min Hee Jin’s Response to NewJeans
Min Hee Jin was approached by Korean media outlets to get her stance on the whole situation. A day later, she released a formal statement and showed her support for the NewJeans’ decision.
She said the members’ choice “was made after deep thought and discussion,” and that she is proud of their “courage to protect each other.” The former ADOR CEO added that no matter what happens, she can “start anew anywhere,” but NewJeans should always stay together as five members.
“I hope the girls become stronger and better NewJeans in the future,” she said. “Above all, I hope all five are happy.”
She also thanked fans for standing by NewJeans during tough times and asked everyone to welcome the members back warmly. Min Hee Jin mentioned that her legal dispute with HYBE is a completely separate issue from NewJeans’ situation.“The lawsuit between me and HYBE has nothing to do with NewJeans,” she said. “I’m doing my best as an individual and hope the truth will come out.”
What’s Happening with NewJeans
All five members — Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein — have announced their return to ADOR.
On November 12, ADOR officially confirmed that Haerin and Hyein would continue activities with the company after talking with their families.
A few hours later, Minji, Hanni, and Danielle released their own statement through their lawyer. They explained that one member was abroad, which caused delays, and said ADOR hadn’t yet responded, so they decided to post their statement separately.
ADOR responded carefully, saying there had been no prior agreement with the three members and that they were “checking the sincerity of their decision to return.”
The company later said it would hold individual meetings with the three members to make sure everything goes smoothly.
NewJeans vs ADOR Contract Dispute
This comes after a long legal battle between NewJeans and ADOR over their exclusive contracts. The group had tried to end their contracts in 2024, claiming a loss of trust. They wrapped up their scheduled activities with ADOR in January and attempted to start anew as NJZ.
The court banned them from operating as NJZ or carrying out any activities without the label’s permission. As a result of violations, each member was ordered to pay a fine of 1 billion won per activity. The legal and financial pressure must have forced NewJeans to return to ADOR.
On October 30, a Seoul court ruled in ADOR’s favor, meaning the members were still legally bound to the agency.
Their return announcement came just a day before the deadline to appeal that ruling. NewJeans’ decision to go back to ADOR shows the group and the agency may be ready to move forward instead of fighting publicly.
Min Hee Jin secured a major victory against HYBE in the “breach of trust” case earlier this year; however, HYBE has appealed the decision. She has founded her label, OOAK, and will likely launch a new group after her legal battles with HYBE end.
While there is still some uncertainty about the final agreement with Minji, Hanni, and Danielle, the members’ return is a hopeful new start for NewJeans and ADOR.
