Only Hanni Smiles, Other NewJeans Members Cover Faces with Hats and Sunglasses in New Schedule
Attending previously arranged schedules despite contract termination
On the morning of Dec 13th, girl group NewJeans headed to Fukuoka, Japan via Incheon International Airport to participate in the “2024 Music Bank Global Festival in Japan”. This schedule had been arranged prior to their recent notice of contract termination, and they were accompanied by ADOR managers and staff.
Among the five members, Hanni stood out for her choice not to wear a hat or sunglasses, garnering attention at the airport. When fans repeatedly called out “Hanni-ya~“, she responded with a radiant smile while making her way through the departure gates.
Meanwhile, Minji, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein wore hats and sunglasses, concealing most of their faces. Though they remained expressionless, Danielle waved at a fan who reassured her, “It’s okay, I’ll come back again.“
Meanwhile, on Nov 29th (local time), NewJeans appeared on TV Asahi’s music program “Music Station”. Performing “Ditto” and “How Sweet”, the group received enthusiastic cheers from Japanese fans.
When fellow guest group BABYMONSTER was asked about their favorite Japanese cuisine, they responded with “sukiyaki”. NewJeans’ Minji chimed in, “We love sukiyaki too.” Additionally, Japanese group Gospellers’ Tetsuya Murakami mentioned his admiration for NewJeans, sharing that he had waved at them during their June Tokyo Dome concert, drawing attention.
This marked NewJeans’ first official schedule following their announcement to terminate their exclusive contract with ADOR.
It seems that despite their contract termination and on-going lawsuit with ADOR, NewJeans is keeping to their promise and faithfully fulfilling their previous arrangements.
Ongoing conflict with ADOR
On the other hand, at 8:30 PM (KST) on Nov 28th, NewJeans held an emergency press conference, 15 days after sending a content certification letter to ADOR on Nov 13th, outlining their demands. They declared the contract termination effective at midnight on Nov 29th, citing that “ADOR lacks both the will and capability to protect NewJeans“.
The group emphasized that the responsibility for the situation lies with ADOR, stating, “We have no reason to pay any penalties.” They also expressed their desire to retain the group name NewJeans and continue working with former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.
NewJeans further clarified, “The five of us do not wish for anyone to be harmed due to the termination of our contract. We will fully fulfill any contractual obligations made between ADOR and others prior to the termination date.”
In response, ADOR expressed regret over the press conference, stating, “It is disappointing that a press conference regarding the termination of the exclusive contract was planned and executed without sufficient review, even before receiving a reply to the content certification letter.” ADOR added, “As the contractual party, ADOR has not violated the contract, and simply claiming a breakdown of trust does not constitute grounds for termination.”
ADOR also conveyed, “If possible, we would like to meet and talk in person. Please take your time to reflect while carrying out your schedule in Japan, and feel free to inform us of your availability. We will also carefully listen to what was said during today’s press conference.”
