Is NewJeans leaving Hybe?

NewJeans hold a YouTube livestream demanding the reinstatement of Min Hee-jin as Ador CEO, Wednesday evening. (Yonhap)

K-pop group NewJeans has issued an ultimatum against Hybe, demanding the reinstatement of Min Hee-jin as CEO of Ador, by the deadline of Sept. 25.

The request was announced during a livestream they held on YouTube Wednesday evening, the post about which was subsequently deleted from X, formerly Twitter.

“What we want is for Ador to be restored to its original state with Min Hee-jin as the CEO, where management and producing are integrated. Restore Ador to its original state by Sept. 25,” stated Minji of NewJeans.

Industry sources suggest that the deadline indicates the group may be considering terminating its exclusive contract with Hybe, as it is highly unlikely that Hybe will reinstate Min as CEO of subsidiary Ador, given the ongoing dispute between the two over Ador’s management.

In the entertainment industry, it is common for artists to request changes from their agencies, and if these requests are not met within a specified period, they may seek an injunction to suspend their exclusive contracts.

NewJeans, however, has not specified what actions it will take if its demands are not met.

The group has consistently publicly supported Min, even after her removal from the CEO post at Ador on Aug. 27. Should NewJeans decide to leave its agency, Ador would be left without any artists and would lose a group that generated 110.3 billion won ($848 million) in revenue last year.

Meanwhile, a fan of NewJeans has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, requesting an investigation into alleged bullying of NewJeans members by Hybe staff.

During their livestream, Hanni of NewJeans shared that they felt ignored and mistreated by Hybe employees.

“One day, I was in the hallway by myself, and another group passed by with its manager. I said hello, but the manager told the group's members, ‘Ignore her,’ so I could hear it. I don’t understand why I had to go through that,” Hanni said.

So far, neither Hybe nor Ador has issued a statement regarding the allegations made by NewJeans members.