HYBE‘s subsidiary Adore has filed a lawsuit against group New Jeans, which announced the termination of its exclusive contract.

Adore explained the situation on the 5th, saying, “On December 3rd, we filed a lawsuit for confirmation of the validity of our exclusive contract with our artist New Jeans in order to receive legal confirmation that it is still valid.”

They continued, “We did not want the issues with our artists to be resolved through legal judgment, but we made the inevitable decision because we felt that we needed to confirm to the artists and other stakeholders that exclusive contracts between the company and the artist are not lightly terminated based on one party’s claim.”

They added, “This is to prevent artists from misunderstanding that their exclusive contracts have been legally terminated and engaging in entertainment activities in a way that violates their current exclusive contracts, or to prevent unexpected damage and confusion from occurring to industry insiders both domestically and internationally.”

They emphasized, “Adore’s position to work with New Jeans remains unchanged,” and asked for support, saying, “Despite the repeated earnest requests from Adore executives and employees, we have not yet had the opportunity to communicate with the artists, but we will make continuous efforts to resolve unnecessary misunderstandings that have built up between the artists and our company.”

On the 28th, New Jeans members Minzy, Hani, Daniel, Haerin, and Hyein held an emergency press conference and notified the termination of their exclusive contracts with Adore.


[The following is Adore‘s full statement]

Hello, this is Adore.

On December 3, we filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court to confirm the validity of our exclusive contract with our artist, New Jeans, in order to receive clear legal confirmation that the contract is still valid.

Although we did not want the issue with our artist to be resolved through legal judgment, we made the inevitable decision after determining that it was necessary to confirm to the artist as well as other stakeholders that the exclusive contract between the company and the artist is not something that can be lightly terminated based on one party’s claims alone. Above all, we would like to clearly seek the court’s judgment to protect the foundation of the K-pop industry, and furthermore, the Korean popular culture industry, which has grown based on a healthy relationship of trust between artists and companies.

It is with a heavy heart to tell you this news, but this is to prevent artists from misunderstanding that their exclusive contracts have been legally terminated and engaging in entertainment activities in a way that violates their current exclusive contracts, or from causing unexpected damage and confusion to industry insiders at home and abroad as a result.

Today’s K-pop has developed through the synergy of two factors: the talent and continuous effort of artists, and the full investment and trust of companies with know-how. In uncertain situations where it is difficult to predict success or failure in advance, it is an essential characteristic of popular culture, especially the K-pop industry, that the company’s support must come first for a long period of time. The company‘s prior support is based on the expectation and belief that the company and the artist can grow together for a certain period of time, and the exclusive contract is an agreement reached through mutual consent based on this premise.

If this basic agreement is not kept, the company’s efforts to endure uncertainty for a long time and to put forth complete trust in the name of investment will become ineffective and cannot be compensated anywhere. In other words, we will no longer be able to expect systematic support, investment, or system advancement in this industry, and we are most concerned that the virtuous cycle of growth of the K-pop industry, which has developed rapidly through the sweat and dreams of many people, will be broken.

Adore‘s position to work with New Jeans remains unchanged. Separate from seeking a judgment from the judiciary regarding the validity of the exclusive contract, we believe that sufficient and sincere discussions with the artists are absolutely necessary. Despite the repeated earnest requests from Adore executives and staff, we have not yet had the opportunity to communicate with the artists, but we will continue to make ceaseless efforts to resolve unnecessary misunderstandings that have accumulated between the artists and our company. We will do our best to repay those who love New Jeans’ music with better activities. We ask for your support and encouragement so that Adore and all New Jeans members can wisely overcome the current situation.

Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com Reporter jhj@donga.com