"Why it’s urgent for ‘Post-ADOR’ NewJeans to establish a company… ‘Visa Extension Crisis’ (Ditongryeong) [Summary]"
The girl group NewJeans, which unilaterally declared the termination of its contract with ADOR and is pursuing independent activities, is reportedly facing urgent reasons to establish a company.
On the 19th, a video titled “ADOR? What can you even do... NewJeans is taking a new path” was uploaded to the Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho channel.
Lee Jin-ho stated, “NewJeans is currently walking an unimaginable path that no one has taken before.” He expressed concerns while mentioning their unilateral contract termination notice, the removal of the "NewJeans" name during a Vogue photoshoot, and their independent advertising contract with a global luxury watch brand.
He said, “This is a bold move that doesn’t seem to consider a Plan B in case they lose the legal battle. Every single act causes actual damage to ADOR, potentially leading to significant penalties.” However, he added, “What works in NewJeans’ favor is that the lawsuit ADOR filed to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract will take at least 1–2 years. If, at the end of the legal battle, it’s ruled that ‘NewJeans is under an exclusive contract with ADOR,’ they can simply return and say, ‘Fine, we’ll work with ADOR.’ In such a scenario, could ADOR even claim penalties?”
He particularly pointed out the Vogue photoshoot, where the group’s name “NewJeans” was removed, and the members’ individual names were used instead. Min Hee-jin’s name, the former CEO of ADOR, was listed as the creator for the shoot.
Lee Jin-ho explained, “It could be understandable that Min Hee-jin’s name was listed as a creator since she was still employed at the time. However, the Vogue photoshoot was scheduled and conducted using ADOR’s human and material resources. Removing the name ‘NewJeans’ in this context doesn’t make sense. ADOR’s company and employees worked for NewJeans, paid wages, and spent money, yet the name ‘NewJeans’ was removed? It’s an incomprehensible situation.”
He further claimed that there are urgent reasons why NewJeans needs a company right now.
Lee Jin-ho stated, “At the press conference on November 28, NewJeans declared, ‘We are done with ADOR. They cannot interfere with our activities.’ However, foreign members Danielle and Hanni need an agency to engage in economic activities in South Korea. An agency is required to obtain visas. Without any company, they cannot carry out activities. To immediately resolve the visa issue, a company is necessary.”
He added, “This is why the theory of a family-run corporation is emerging. The members each received 5.2 billion KRW in settlements from ADOR last year, so they are not in a financially strained position. Even if each of them contributes 500 million KRW, they could establish a family-run company. The issue, however, is that family members are still considered third parties contractually. While they claim, ‘NewJeans’ contract has already been terminated,’ entering into a contract with a third party would be a severe breach of contract.”
