Haerin and Hye-in's return to ADOR was officially announced, and Min-ji, Hanni and Danielle's unilateral notices of return appear likely to be decided through meetings. Fans hope to see NewJeans return to ADOR as a five-member unit and perform as a complete group on stage. Attention is focused on when their activities will resume.
"NewJeans members Haerin and Hye-in have expressed their intention to continue activities with ADOR. After careful consideration with their families and sufficient discussions with ADOR, the two members decided to respect the court's ruling and comply with their exclusive contracts. ADOR will do its best to ensure Haerin and Hye-in can continue their entertainment activities smoothly. We respectfully ask fans to offer warm support and refrain from unfounded speculation about the members. Thank you."
At 5:06 p.m. on the 12th, ADOR announced that Haerin and Hye-in would return to the agency and continue activities. It came about a year after they declared the termination of their exclusive contracts and about 10 days after the court ruled in ADOR's favor.
"Hello, we are Min-ji, Hanni and Danielle. After careful consultation, we have decided to return to ADOR. One member is currently in Antarctica, so delivery was delayed, and because ADOR had not responded, we had no choice but to announce our position separately. We will continue to meet you with wholehearted music and performances. Thank you."
About two hours later, Min-ji, Hanni and Danielle delivered their statement. But their declaration of return was a unilateral notice. Haerin and Hye-in are reported to have expressed their intention to return to ADOR and coordinated their intentions starting about a week before the official announcement on the 12th. The reason it was formalized on the 12th is that the 13th is the appeal deadline for the lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract.
Unlike the official announcement made through communication and coordination of opinions between Haerin and Hye-in, Min-ji, Hanni and Danielle announced their return by unilateral notice, so ADOR remained tight-lipped, saying it was "confirming the sincerity." In particular, Min-ji, Hanni and Danielle's statement made no mention of Haerin and Hye-in, nor did it say they had discussed and coordinated opinions with ADOR. As a result, there are strong voices criticizing the three's 'declaration' or 'notice' of return.
ADOR, which showed a reserved stance about the three members' return, decided to hold individual interviews for now. On the 13th ADOR said, "We are coordinating individual interview schedules with the members and will do our best to ensure a smooth discussion."
With ADOR agreeing to hold interviews after being reserved, a place was created to discuss the returns of Min-ji, Hanni and Danielle, which had been close to a 'notice.' Haerin and Hye-in decided to return, and although it appears they hurriedly announced their positions and returned, the possibility that NewJeans can be seen as a complete group rather than divided has increased, raising fans' expectations.
If NewJeans, which had a gap of about a year, returns to ADOR in full, what process will they go through to resume activities? First, public opinion strongly favors an apology. During the year-long dispute, NewJeans caused significant harm to the company and its members and delivered a major shock to K-pop fans. Unless an apology is made, their return and sincerity are bound to be questioned.
ADOR plans to provide full support for NewJeans. ADOR has already stated that it submitted a tracklist during the trial process and is ready with preparations for a full album release to facilitate NewJeans' prompt comeback. Because this song list was used as evidence that ADOR was fulfilling its production obligations as NewJeans' producer, it is expected that activities will resume quickly after their return.
Meanwhile, former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin commented on NewJeans members returning to ADOR: "The members' decision yesterday to return together was likely a choice made after deep consideration and conversation. I respect and support that choice. There were difficulties, but I value the members' courage to hold hands again to protect each other. I can start anew anywhere. However, I believe NewJeans must be fully preserved as five members in any situation. I hope the members become stronger and NewJeans becomes better, and above all I wish happiness for all five members," she said.
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