fromis_9 & NewJeans Depart HYBE on the Same Day: Mutual Agreement vs. Legal Dispute
On November 29, Pledis Entertainment announced that the exclusive contract with fromis_9 will end on December 31. The agency explained, “We had in-depth discussions with the fromis_9 members about their future and individual career paths over a long period of time. After sufficient dialogue, we mutually agreed to terminate the exclusive contract.”
fromis_9 will fulfill their scheduled activities until the contract ends on December 31. Before that, they plan to release a fan song on December 23 to bid farewell to their fans.
fromis_9 debuted in 2017 through Mnet’s audition program “Idol School”. In 2021, they moved from Off the Record Entertainment to Pledis Entertainment as part of a label integration process but are now parting ways after roughly three years.
In contrast, NewJeans under ADOR held an emergency press conference on November 28, announcing their decision to terminate their exclusive contract.
Previously, NewJeans sent ADOR a legal notice with demands, including reinstating ex-CEO Min Hee-jin and addressing a leaked HYBE document, but claimed ADOR ignored them. They announced the contract’s termination effective midnight on November 29.
In a statement released on November 29, NewJeans said, “All five of us notified ADOR of the termination of our exclusive contract due to its breach of obligations and failure to address issues within the stipulated correction period. This termination notification complies with the terms of our contract, and all five of us signed the termination documents ourselves. The termination became effective upon ADOR receiving the notice on November 29, 2024. Therefore, there is no need for an injunction to terminate the contract, and we are free to pursue our activities from November 29, 2024.”
Unlike the amicable agreement with fromis_9, the situation with NewJeans is more contentious, as their contract still has about five years remaining. Following NewJeans’ press conference, ADOR responded, “As the other party to the exclusive contract, ADOR has not violated the agreement. Simply claiming a breach of trust does not constitute grounds for termination.” With both sides firmly holding their positions, a legal battle appears inevitable.
Source: Daum
