Chart-topping K-pop group NewJeans has announced it is leaving its agency after accusing it of “mistreatment” and “manipulation.”
The five-piece girl group announced their departure from Ador, a subsidiary of the Hybe label, during a late-night press conference held Thursday.
Hanni, one of the group's members, said NewJeans had been shunned by the company.
The split is the latest development in a long-running conflict between former NewJeans producer Min Hee-Jin and Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, which has made headlines in South Korea.
“This is not the type of work ethic we respect and it is not one we want to be a part of, and continuing to work for a company without the intention of protecting NewJeans would only harm us,” said Hanni.
She added that the group had faced “mistreatment, not only of us, but also of our staff”, and said the group had suffered “communication failures and deliberate manipulation in several areas”.
The group said it would like to work with Min, the group's former mastermind who left Ador in August following accusations that she planned to part ways with Hybe, taking NewJeans with her.
This would have made NewJeans and Ador independent of Hybe. Min has denied the accusations against her.
She previously accused Hybe of starting another girl group, Illit, which copied NewJeans' music and appearance.
On November 13, NewJeans filed a legal notice with Ador demanding that the company resolve violations of its exclusive contracts within 14 days.
They said failure to respond to their demands would result in termination of their contract.
The group had demanded an apology allegedly made by one of the company's executives, accused by NewJeans of harassment, and the immediate reinstatement of Min.
They added that they would fulfill their contractual obligations, but at the conference they warned their fans that they may no longer be able to use the group's name after the contract ends.
Before the separation, the group had agreed to a seven-year contract, which expires in 2029.
In October, K-pop news site Koreaboo estimated that members would have to pay around 300 billion South Korean won (around £170 million) to terminate the contract early.
But the band's singer Haerin said it “makes no sense” that the group would be required to pay fees for breach of contract.
“We never broke any rules,” Haerin said. “We only did our best – they're the ones at fault. Hybe and Ador are the ones responsible.”
The group has been embroiled in a year-long controversy, with audits and emotional accusations making headlines in South Korean newspapers.
In October, Hanni, 20, a member of the group, testified before the Labor Committee of South Korea's National Assembly during a hearing on workplace harassment.
She alleged entertainment agency Hybe deliberately damaged her group and accused senior executives of deliberately ignoring her.
After several incidents, she said, “I realized it wasn't just a feeling. I was honestly convinced the company hated us.”
NewJeans debuted in 2022 and is one of Hybe's most successful K-pop groups, along with BTS.
With pop hits like Super Shy and OMG, NewJeans were the eighth best-selling group 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.
