Members of the girl group NewJeans have hired Shin & Kim LLC, the law firm that also represents the group’s producer Min Hee-jin, to handle their ongoing legal disputes with HYBE and ADOR.

“To respond quickly to the ongoing disputes, we believe Shin & Kim LLC, which is already aware of the wrongdoings and issues with HYBE and ADOR, is the most optimal choice,” the group members wrote on their Instagram account Thursday.


“HYBE and ADOR have failed to fulfill their responsibilities as agencies in protecting and nurturing their artists.”

“The five of us have no intention of returning to HYBE and ADOR, where even the minimum trust can no longer be expected,” NewJeans said.

“Even after the legal termination of the exclusive contract, we faced baseless criticism from the media and YouTube channels. Most of the information could only have been provided by HYBE and ADOR,” the members said.

The NewJeans members announced their departure from ADOR on Nov. 28, declaring the termination of their contracts during a press conference.

In response, ADOR filed a legal motion on Dec. 3 seeking clarification on whether its exclusive contracts with the members are still valid.

“While HYBE and ADOR are telling us to return, behind closed doors, they have continued to harass and attack us just as before,” the singers continued on their Instagram Story. “Recently, they secretly met with some of our parents to persuade them or turn them against us. We hope the truth will be clearly established through a fair process."

“We have decided not to remain silent any longer. Through legal proceedings, we plan to reveal HYBE and ADOR’s wrongdoings clearly and fight confidently in court to bring the truth to light," the NewJeans members added.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]