In recent court proceedings, ADOR argued that maintaining NewJeans’ exclusive contract is essential not only for the group’s stable future but also for the company’s survival.
ADOR Defends Contract Amid Court Battle
The agency claimed that terminating the contract would result in “fatal damage” — from the loss of HYBE’s and ADOR’s support to potential compensation lawsuits and reputational harm to the members, who risk being seen as “celebrities who break promises.”
“If the exclusive contract is terminated, ADOR’s very existence would be in jeopardy,” the agency stated, emphasizing that the consequences would extend to their staff and long-term operations.
However, many netizens are pushing back, questioning the ethical and legal foundation of such claims. Following an explosive media report about HYBE’s non-compete and non-litigation agreements, outrage has intensified.
HYBE’s Confidentiality Clauses Trigger Backlash
The article revealed that HYBE had employees — including those at ADOR — sign confidentiality agreements that bar them from joining or starting competing businesses for one full year after resignation. The controversial clauses, reportedly approved by ADOR CEO and HYBE CHRO Kim Jooyoung, are raising red flags among labor experts.
“These agreements are rarely enforceable and may violate workers’ basic rights,” labor lawyers explained, noting that such clauses are more typical in technical fields like semiconductors.
Many called the agreements “employment shackles,” accusing HYBE of using these contracts to suppress career mobility and pressure artists and staff alike. As ADOR insists that terminating the contract would affect employee job security, netizens argue that the responsibility lies with HYBE, not NewJeans.
Netizens’ Reactions
A recent thread on a popular Korean forum, Theqoo, captures this escalating tension with raw and emotional reactions from anonymous users. Below is a translated excerpt of the conversation:
- Cheering for NewJeans. Hwaiting!
- Why would K-pop fall apart because of NewJeans;;;; Honestly, I hope everything just collapses. Pay the price and live quietly.
- So this is what it means to be overly self-conscious ㅋㅋㅋ K-pop will never truly be destroyed.
- What a jokeㅋㅋㅋ I hope you all fail., HYBE
- It’s obvious one side picked a fight over something petty, and now they’re relentlessly dragging down girls who just turned 17 or barely became adults — as if they’re criminals on the run. Meanwhile, the ones being investigated for misusing billions are using PR money to manipulate public opinion. Just look at the line distribution difference between the groups. It’s scary how people are falling for this and blaming NewJeans equally. Are they even human anymore?
- Original poster, update the court documents and stop fabricating things. You abandoned NewJeans and didn’t even get recognition for it — stop trying to sway public opinion with posts like this.
As the court battles continue, so does the war of public perception. The conflict between idol loyalty, corporate accountability, and labor rights is now a matter of national conversation. While ADOR seeks to retain NewJeans as a cornerstone of its identity, many fans and observers are now questioning the deeper power dynamics at play within the HYBE corporate ecosystem.
Theqoo
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