“That’s not a work ethic we respect, and it’s not one we want to be a part of, and continuing to work for the company with no intention of protecting NewJeans will only hurt us,” Honey said.
She added that the group faced “harsh treatment not only of us, but also of our staff,” and said the group faced “deliberate misunderstandings and manipulation in various areas.”
The group said it would like to work with Ming, the group’s former chief executive, who left Ador in August following allegations that she planned to part ways with Hybe, taking NewJeans with her.
This would make NewJeans and Ador independent of Hybe. Min rejects the accusations against him.
She has previously accused Haibe to form another girl group, Illit, who copied the music and look of NewJeans.
On November 13, NewJeans filed a legal notice with Ador demanding that they remedy the violations of their exclusivity contracts within 14 days.
They said failure to meet their demands would result in the termination of the contracts.
The group demanded an apology, allegedly from one of the company’s executives whom NewJeans accuses of bullying, and the immediate reinstatement of Min.
They added that they would honor their contractual obligations, but warned their fans at the conference that they would not be able to use the band name after the contract ended.
Before the split, the group signed a seven-year contract that expires in 2029.
In October, K-pop news site Koreaboo estimated that the members would have to paying about 300 billion South Korean won, external (about £170m) to terminate the contract early.
But the group’s singer Haerin said it “doesn’t make sense” for the group to have to pay a breach of contract fee.
“We never broke any rules,” Herrin said. – We didn’t do anything, we just tried our best – they are to blame. Haib and Ador are responsible.”
Ador said it had not “breached” the terms of the contract, adding that it “respectfully asks the band to continue working with Ador for future events.”
“Despite numerous requests for meetings with artists, our efforts have not been successful. We hope that members will now be ready to engage in an open and honest discussion,” the statement said, citing NewJeans.
The group has been embroiled in a year-long controversy with scrutiny and emotional accusations that have made South Korean headlines.
In October, a member of the group, Hani, 20, testified before the Labor Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly at a hearing on workplace harassment.
She claimed that the entertainment agency Hybe was deliberately undermining her group and accused the top management of deliberately ignoring her.
After several incidents, she said, “I’ve come to understand that it’s not just a feeling. I was sincerely convinced that the company hates us.”
NewJeans debuted in 2022 and is one of Hybe’s most successful K-pop groups along with BTS.
With smooth pop hits including Super Shy and OMG, NewJeans were the eighth best-selling band 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, Hani, Daniel, Herin and Hein – are between the ages of 16 and 20.
