Recently, the K-POP group New Jeans held an emergency press conference to announce their split from Adore. On the 13th, New Jeans sent a notice to Adore, stating that they would terminate their exclusive contract effective at midnight on the 29th, two weeks later. This situation seems to be a result of escalating conflicts between the two companies, drawing the attention of fans and the industry.
Key Points from the Emergency Press Conference
At the press conference held on the 28th in Gangnam, Seoul, New Jeans asserted their intention to terminate the contract due to Adore’s failure to address their demands. They expressed a strong determination to retain the team name “New Jeans” without incurring penalties. Furthermore, they claimed that the contract could be terminated without legal procedures and expressed a desire to work with former representative Min Hee-jin in the future. These statements appear to reflect New Jeans’ frustrations that have surfaced amid the conflicts between Adore and its parent company, Hive.
Differences in Positions
There are several contentious issues between New Jeans and Adore. Firstly, regarding a statement made by a Hive official about “discarding New Jeans to create a new plan,” New Jeans strongly opposed this, deeming it a dismissive attitude toward artists. In contrast, Adore clarified that the statement was merely an idea for establishing a separate activity area for Le Sserafim and did not intend to abandon New Jeans.
Additionally, the two sides have opposing views on the inappropriate comments made by a Hive PR member and the allegations of pushing albums. New Jeans claims that Adore failed to protect the artists, while Adore argues that they took immediate action.
Conflict Arising from Lack of Communication
One of the key reasons for this conflict is the lack of communication. New Jeans emphasized that the breakdown in communication with Adore has led to deepening mistrust. On the other hand, Adore contends that misunderstandings arose due to insufficient communication and expressed a willingness to meet directly for discussions.
New Jeans: “Why aren’t you doing anything?” vs. Adore: “We’ve done everything!” A Clash of Statements.
On the 28th at 8:30 PM, New Jeans held an urgent press conference in a location in Samsung-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, regarding the termination of their contract. The members asserted that they would terminate the contract starting from midnight on the 29th due to Adore’s failure to address their demands, expressing a strong determination to retain the team name “New Jeans” without incurring penalties.
Additionally, they claim that termination can occur without legal procedures and expressed a desire to work with former representative Min Hee-jin in the future. This appears to be a culmination of various frustrations New Jeans has experienced amid the conflict between Adore and its parent company, Hive.
In particular, New Jeans emphasized that Adore’s response to the notice they received was merely performative, stating, “None of our demands have been addressed. Have they not taken any action at all?”
So, what did Adore say in their 26 replies, and what actions did they claim to have taken regarding New Jeans’ demands? Here’s a summary of both sides’ positions and clarifications.
Issue 1: The Statement “It’s Fine to Abandon New Jeans and Start Anew”
New Jeans’ Position: “The statement made by a Hive official about abandoning New Jeans to create a new plan is a dismissive attitude towards artists. This constitutes a breach of contract, and we demand disciplinary action against those involved.”
Adore’s Position: “That statement was merely an idea to establish a separate activity area for Le Sserafim and did not intend to abandon New Jeans. Hive has apologized for this and has relieved the individual of their duties, promising to prevent a recurrence.”
Issue 2: Inappropriate Comments by a Hive PR Member
New Jeans’ Position: “A member of the Hive PR team made remarks that intentionally downplayed New Jeans’ achievements. Adore did not take adequate measures to protect the artists in this regard.”
Adore’s Position: “We immediately requested that Hive take cautionary measures and exclude the PR member from their duties, which Hive accepted.”
Issue 3: Allegations of Pushing Albums
New Jeans’ Position: “Adore has responded passively to the allegations of pushing albums and has failed to resolve the concerns.”
Adore’s Position: “Through a comprehensive investigation and verification by an external accounting firm, we have confirmed that the allegations of pushing albums are not true.”
Issue 4: The “Ignore It” Comment by a Manager from Another Label
New Jeans’ Position: “Despite the fact that an Ailet manager told New Jeans member Hani to ‘ignore it,’ Adore did not take proactive measures, which harmed the artist’s reputation.”
Adore’s Position: “We did our utmost to verify the facts but were unable to confirm the statement. Nevertheless, we protested to the relevant label and proposed mediation, which was rejected.”
New Jeans’ Position: “Due to Adore’s careless handling, photos and videos from New Jeans’ trainee days were disclosed without permission, infringing on the artists’ portrait rights.”
Adore’s Position: “We have completed the deletion of the unauthorized content immediately and have hired a professional law firm and a takedown service to prevent further leaks.”
Issue 6: Dispute with Director Shin Woo-seok
New Jeans’ Position: “Adore unilaterally made decisions during the dispute with Director Shin Woo-seok, which damaged the artist’s creative work.”
Adore’s Position: “We only requested the Dolphin Kidnapping Group to halt the posting of the ‘ETA Director’s Cut’ video; the deletion of the Ban Hee-soo channel video was conducted unilaterally by Director Shin Woo-seok.”
Issue 7: Insufficient Guarantees for New Jeans’ Activities
New Jeans’ Position: “New Jeans’ activities are being restricted due to Adore’s passive support.”
Adore’s Position: “We supported the reappointment of former director Min Hee-jin and proposed that she take charge of production until the expiration of the exclusive contract, but she rejected this offer.”
Issue 8: Return of Former CEO Min Hee-jin
New Jeans’ Position: “Adore unilaterally dismissed former CEO Min Hee-jin, disregarding the opinions of the artists.”
Adore’s Position: “We discussed the possibility of Min Hee-jin’s return, but determined that it would be difficult under the current circumstances.”
Issue 9: Lack of Communication
New Jeans’ Position: “The breakdown in communication with Adore has deepened our mistrust.”
Adore’s Position: “Misunderstandings arose due to a lack of communication. We are willing to meet directly for discussions and collaboration.”
Conclusion
Currently, New Jeans is attempting to resolve the conflict with Adore by declaring their independence. The outcome of this situation remains to be seen. Both fans and the industry are closely monitoring the developments, and there is keen anticipation regarding the future direction New Jeans will take. Such conflicts in the K-POP market extend beyond issues between artists and their agencies, significantly impacting relationships with fans as well.
The long-awaited explosion has finally occurred. The group New Jeans held an emergency press conference to announce their split from Adore. According to New Jeans, they sent a notice to Adore on the 13th and intend to terminate their exclusive contract effective at midnight on the 29th, two weeks later.
Here are some helpful resources to learn more about the situation and the background of New Jeans:
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New Jeans Overview
Get to know more about New Jeans and their music: New Jeans – Wikipedia -
K-POP Fan Perspectives
Discover fan reactions and insights regarding New Jeans’ situation: K-POP Fans Speak Out
I hope these resources provide more context and understanding of the situation. If you have any more questions or thoughts to share, feel free to reach out! It’s always great to discuss these developments in the K-POP world!
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