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[Journalism Internship] ADOR at a crossroads with NewJeans after Danielle's contract termination

Published: 24 Feb. 2026, 17:15

SOLAR CHOI, YURI CHOI, CLAIRE KIM AND ALICE LIM

Danielle of NewJeans attends a mediation hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 14, 2025, in a lawsuit filed by ADOR seeking confirmation of the validity of the group’s exclusive contracts with the agency. [NEWS1]

The backlash over NewJeans member Danielle’s contract termination following alleged violations has extended beyond a single K-pop entertainment company, emphasizing how idols’ mistreatment can lead to permanent consequences, such as public backlash and dissatisfaction with other groups under the label.

This dispute stems from accusations against HYBE, a well-known entertainment agency, by Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of the group's label, ADOR, over alleged plagiarism of NewJeans’ aesthetics and choreography.

The events that followed changed the history of ADOR, a company under HYBE, permanently.

After the accusation, HYBE demanded Min's resignation in April 2024. This led to the members of NewJeans starting a public livestream, threatening to terminate their contract with ADOR if Min was not brought back as CEO within 14 days in a show of support for their “mentor.”

HYBE filed a lawsuit against NewJeans to keep the group's contracts intact. Following the court ruling in favor of the label, NewJeans was obligated to return to ADOR and continue their entertainment work as idols.

Members of girl group NewJeans speak to reporters after attending the first hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on March 7, 2025, related to an injunction filed by ADOR seeking to maintain its status as the group’s management agency. [NEWS1]

Nevertheless, the controversy surrounding NewJeans ultimately came from Danielle’s removal from the group after nearly four years as a member. Her departure was a result of an event after a monthslong contract dispute, during which the idol was accused by ADOR of participating in entertainment and promotional activities without permission.

Following the announcement of Danielle’s contract termination, HYBE and ADOR confirmed that three other members — Hanni, Haerin and Hyein — will continue as NewJeans, as ADOR is still in discussion with Minji about her return.

In the wake of these developments, fans have expressed widespread anger and concern for NewJeans’s future, while Danielle allegedly appears to be transitioning toward a solo career despite the financial pressures on her.

HYBE’s reputation and status

HYBE’s headquarters in Yongsan District, central Seoul, is pictured on July 24, 2025. [NEWS1]

Despite the recent controversy over Danielle’s contract termination, HYBE’s market cap surged in January, after BTS announced it would release new music and a new world tour, the band’s first full-group tour in around four years.

However, the market cap is still lower than the increase in value in 2023, when NewJeans was a popular topic and attraction.

The continuation of this legal battle between ADOR and NewJeans could further lead to a decrease in HYBE’s market value, especially with a decline in reputation. ADOR, and by extension, HYBE, have faced heavy criticism for seeking 43.1 billion won ($31 million) in damages from Danielle, a demand many consider a harsh, punitive move against a young artist.

“While Hybe may have won the legal dispute, its reputation and the value of the label as a brand have already suffered quite harshly,” according to Kim Hern-Sik, a cultural critic.

Although Danielle seems to be gaining popularity, her departure had a greater impact on NewJeans than most initially realized.

She was an iconic member of NewJeans, known as "the sunshine of the group," and was one of the most well-liked members. With her departure, netizens voiced concerns about the group's trajectory and popularity, saying, “NewJeans had so much potential.”

ADOR showed significant growth in 2023 after NewJeans’ debut, with 1,1 billion won in sales compared to the previous year, an increase of 491.8 percent. In 2024, the agency made 1.1 billion won from NewJeans, recording a heyday through the release of the double single "How Sweet" and "Supernatural" with the group's Japan debut through a Tokyo Dome fan meet and greet.

However, following the controversy over NewJeans’ activity constraints, ADOR’s sales dropped 73 percent to 24.4 billion won from the first to third quarters of 2025, manifesting the consequences of unstable management.

Competitors also have opportunities to take NewJeans’ spotlight. ILLIT, another girl group, surpassed NewJeans’ monthly listeners by 16,157,367 on Spotify and broke NewJeans’s record sales by more than 500,000 as of March 24, 2024.

Danielle’s growing popularity and solo prospects

Danielle of girl group NewsJeans poses on a red carpet on Feb. 1, 2024. [YONHAP]

Meanwhile, Danielle continues to grow in popularity. After she opened an account on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform, it took mere hours to surpass tens of thousands of followers, eventually amassing 204,000 followers.

As Danielle was rumored to sign with TheBlackLabel, an associate of YG Entertainment, many believe that the agency will act as a “refuge” for the singer to have a much more successful career as a solo idol or debut in a new group, a trend the agency has facilitated before.

Yeongseo, a member of the mixed-gender group Allday Project, was previously signed with HYBE and scheduled to debut with the girl group ILLIT — contracted with BeLift Lab, a HYBE affiliate — but eventually signed with TheBlackLabel and successfully debuted.

Netizens believe the reason Youngseo decided to leave HYBE was that the label was planning a scandal with the young idol to gain popularity. Many fans considered TheBlackLabel a “safe haven” for idols leaving larger and more restrictive companies.

Influencer MrBeast responds to an Empire post on X noting the inundations of comments on his TikTok videos asking him to intervene in the ongoing ADOR-Danielle controversy. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

As of early January this year, the NewJeans fandom, called Bunnies, launched an intense online campaign urging YouTuber MrBeast to intervene in the group’s ongoing legal disputes with ADOR and HYBE. Social media platforms were flooded with messages asking him to “save NewJeans" or “save Danielle,” with MrBeast himself publicly responding on X, expressing confusion and asking, “What do I need to do?”

The end of ADOR?

While the remaining NewJeans members are set to continue activities with ADOR, the Bunnies are still pleading for Danielle to rejoin the group. The agency's inability to predict the severity of the backlash against the lawsuit against the singer poses a risk for the future of the group.

A user on X wrote, “... I’ve lost count of how many negative articles have been pushed out about the girls since ADOR’s announcement... Meanwhile, where is ADOR?... Where are all those promises you kept proclaiming in court?”

BY SOLAR CHOI, YURI CHOI, CLAIRE KIM AND ALICE LIM

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[Journalism Internship] ADOR at a crossroads with NewJeans after Danielle's contract termination

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[Journalism Internship] ADOR at a crossroads with NewJeans after Danielle's contract termination

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