In 2022, All Doors One Room (ADOR), a subsidiary of HYBE, debuted its first girl group in an unprecedented way. Without announcements, introduction videos, or teasers. Despite NewJeans coming out of nowhere, a significant mark was left on the K-pop industry. Kim Minji, Danielle Marsh, Hanni Pham, Kang Haerin, and Lee Hyein quickly rose to stardom and became one of the most influential fourth-generation K-pop groups.
From July of 2022 to April of 2024, NewJeans rose to the top. They received major awards including Billboard music awards, iHeartRadio awards, Golden disc awards, MAMA awards. Their music accumulated billions of streams on Spotify, further solidifying their global popularity. Their influence extended beyond music, creating social media trends and impacting youth culture.
However, in April of 2024, conflict began to arise. HYBE launched an audit of ADOR and accused Min Hee-Jin, CEO of ADOR and the creative behind NewJeans, of attempting to seize full control of the entertainment company. This ensued a public legal and corporate battle. By August of 2024, Min Hee-jin was officially dismissed as the CEO of ADOR.
In September 2024, there was a surprise live stream held by the NewJeans members. In this livestream the members demanded ADOR to reinstate Min Hee-jin. This livestream was a turning point in the situation. The conflict moved way beyond internal management issues. Fans realized that this could be the end of NewJeans. Rumors of disbandment became prominent on social media.
On November 28th, 2024, NewJeans held a press conference. The members announced their decision to terminate their contracts with ADOR. They claimed that they experienced unfair treatment under the company. In March 2025, the members participated in interviews under the name “NJZ.” They also performed as NJZ at ComplexCon in Hong Kong. These activities took place despite a court temporarily blocking NewJeans from conducting independent activities.
October 30th, 2025, was a huge day for fans of NewJeans and the K-pop industry. This was the day that the court would come to a verdict on NewJeans contract dispute. The court ruled that NewJeans must honor their contract with ADOR until 2029. It’s speculated that members Hyein, Haerin, and Hanni have agreed to return to ADOR. Shortly after, it was announced that Danielle’s contract with ADOR had been terminated. Subsequently, ADOR filed a civil lawsuit against Danielle, seeking around $30 million USD.
The NewJeans case is one of the most significant conflicts in modern K-pop. Publicly challenging a major entertainment company is unheard of in the industry. K-pop is extremely rigid and controlling. Regardless of the final outcome, the NewJeans case has influenced conversations around artists having independence, contracts, and corporate power in K-pop. Hopefully a precedent may be set, reshaping the industry for the better.
