Key facts
- The contracts struck government template language protecting minors from excessive physical exposure or overly suggestive expression.
- Ador holds perpetual rights to the members' names, photographs, likenesses, handwriting and voices, beyond government recommendations.
- The contracts also grant Ador the right to use the members as AI chatbots or clones.
- Hybe said its contracts were legal and negotiated in good faith, with protections for artists and the label's investment.
- Ador has maintained it did not violate its duty to the group.
- Hybe said its exit penalty fees do not exceed industry standards.
NewJeans signed restrictive contracts with record label Ador that waived their right to "sleep, rest and free choice," according to a New York Times report published November 5, 2026. The members were aged 14 to 17 when they signed.
The contracts banned an "insincere attitude" and "inappropriate romantic relationships," and struck standard child protection language covering "basic human rights" including the right to education. They also excluded portions of the Korean government's K-pop contract template stating that a label "shall not demand that a performer who is a minor engage in excessive physical exposure or overly sexually suggestive expression."
Hybe representatives told the New York Times the company adheres to child-protection laws and works to ensure artists train in safe conditions. Hybe also said its contracts were legal and negotiated in good faith, and that it does not recommend cosmetic surgery against an individual's wishes.
The contract granted Ador rights to use the members' "name, photographs, likeness, handwriting, voice and any other elements" in perpetuity, going further than government recommendations that such rights end at contract termination. It also grants Ador the right to use the members as AI chatbots or clones, and required the band to repay a significant percentage of plastic surgery costs.
NewJeans announced in November 2024 their decision to leave the label amid contract disputes. Hanni alleged mistreatment and accused Ador of "deliberate miscommunications and manipulation" in a statement to South Korea's parliament in 2025. Ador has maintained it did not violate its duty, saying "A unilateral claim that trust has been broken does not constitute valid grounds for termination of a contract." Ador sued Danielle, a member of her family and the band's producer in December 2025 for nearly $30 million.