NewJeans Contract Termination Scandal Deepens with New Evidence
The NewJeans contract termination scandal has taken a dramatic turn as ADOR presents compelling evidence in court against former CEO Min Hee Jin. According to documents submitted to the Seoul Central District Court, Min is suspected of illegally interfering with NewJeans’ decision to terminate their agency contracts. This NewJeans contract termination scandal has captivated fans and industry insiders alike, raising serious questions about the behind-the-scenes manipulation that may have occurred.
The case centers around allegations of “tampering” – a serious accusation in the entertainment industry that refers to a third party getting involved with artists without their agency’s consent while contracts remain active. For Seoul Crushers following this developing story, the implications could be far-reaching for both the popular girl group and their former agency leadership.
Suspicious PDF Metadata Reveals Potential Manipulation
The NewJeans contract termination scandal evidence presented by ADOR is particularly damning. When NewJeans (NJZ) appeared in court on March 11 for the first round of interrogations regarding their lawsuit with ADOR, the agency presented documents that confirmed Min Hee Jin and her legal representatives at the Sejeong Law Firm were involved in the process of NJZ notifying ADOR about their contract termination.
What makes this revelation so shocking is that the termination notice sent by NewJeans, which was in PDF format, was actually authored by the law firm. ADOR highlighted that the company’s English name, “S&K,” appeared in the metadata of the PDF file, indicating the notice was created using a corporate account. This technical evidence suggests that the law firm was involved in drafting the termination notice before NewJeans had officially hired them as legal representation.
The timeline raises further suspicions about Min Hee Jin’s tampering allegations. NewJeans formally requested corrective actions from ADOR on November 14, 2024, and just six days later, on November 20, Min resigned as ADOR CEO. Then, on November 28, NewJeans announced their contract termination before the deadline for ADOR to respond to their request for corrective action, which was set for November 29 at midnight.
Contradictory Statements Fuel Min Hee Jin Tampering Allegations
The Min Hee Jin tampering allegations are further strengthened by several contradictions in NewJeans’ statements. On November 28, just a day before sending the termination notice to ADOR, the group held an emergency press conference and suddenly announced they were terminating their contracts. However, during this press conference, they explicitly stated they hadn’t appointed any legal representation yet.
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Strangely, it wasn’t until January 2025 that NewJeans officially declared Sejeong as their legal counsel, claiming they were familiar with the firm due to past disputes involving ADOR and HYBE. This contradicts the evidence showing Sejeong’s involvement in drafting the termination notice months earlier.
ADOR has presented additional evidence including Kakaotalk conversations and emails retrieved from Min’s phone. Perhaps most telling is that the exact same statements used by Sejeong from a prior case between Min and ADOR in May 2024 appeared in the new filings. In the process, there were some inconsistencies, such as the phrase “early this year” in the filing, which should have been updated to “early last year” – suggesting the documents were hastily repurposed.
Final Thoughts on the NewJeans Contract Termination Scandal
The NewJeans contract termination scandal continues to unfold as the court prepares to conclude the hearing on March 14. All necessary evidence and materials must be submitted by then, and NewJeans’ representatives have been requested to reorganize and submit a list of reasons for terminating the exclusive contract.
If the tampering accusations against Min Hee Jin are proven true, it could potentially affect the injunction result and have serious legal consequences. The case raises important questions about artist management, contract ethics, and the power dynamics within the K-pop industry.
What do you think about these developments in the NewJeans contract termination scandal? Do you believe Min Hee Jin was involved in manipulating the group’s decision? Share your thoughts in the comments below!