In a surprising development linked to the legal battle between NewJeans and their agency ADOR, it has been revealed that Hyein’s father opposed the group’s move to terminate their exclusive contract, leading to a custody ruling that stripped him of parental rights.
Legal Battle Over Contract and Guardianship
The matter came to light during the first hearing of NewJeans’ exclusive contract lawsuit held on April 3 at the Seoul Central District Court. During the hearing, the court questioned whether a family court ruling had ratified legal action taken on behalf of one of the underage members, an indication that a parental disagreement was under legal scrutiny.
Initial online speculation misidentified the member in question as Haerin, due to court filings listing a “Kang OO.” However, it was later confirmed that the real subject of the guardianship dispute was Hyein, whose father, identified as Mr. A, reportedly opposed the termination of her contract with ADOR.
This stance placed him at odds with Hyein’s mother, Ms. B, who supported the lawsuit filed by the group. As a result, Ms. B sought a legal adjustment of parental rights. The court ultimately sided with her, formally naming her Hyein’s legal guardian and removing Mr. A’s decision-making authority in the matter.
Rumors of Division, And a United Front
The incident fueled rumors of discord among the NewJeans members’ families. However, on April 4, the parents of all five members issued a joint statement refuting these claims.
“The reports of internal division among the parents are entirely untrue,” the statement read. “All five members firmly maintain that returning to HYBE is not an option.”
The parents also addressed speculation about Haerin, “Rumors regarding Haerin are completely false. Her family is fully aligned in support of her decisions. The guardianship adjustment involved a different member, both the mother and child in that case were in full agreement.”
Though not named directly, the context all but confirmed that the dispute involved Hyein’s family.
This legal battle stems from ADOR’s conflict with parent company HYBE, which has escalated over creative control and artist management. On March 21, a court issued an injunction favoring ADOR, effectively halting NewJeans’ activities under their independent name “NJZ” and barring them from signing new advertising deals.
Soon after, NewJeans suspended an appearance at ComplexCon Hong Kong and rebranded their NJZ social media account to “MHDHH”—representing the initials of the five members.