The Korea Herald

지나쌤

NewJeans leave for Japan shows day after unilaterally terminating contract with Ador

By Kim Jae-heun

Published : Nov. 29, 2024 - 13:00

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NewJeans member Hanni speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday, during which the members announced the termination of exclusive contracts with Ador. (Yonhap) NewJeans member Hanni speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday, during which the members announced the termination of exclusive contracts with Ador. (Yonhap)

NewJeans took an early flight to Tokyo on Friday, marking the girl group's first activity since unilaterally terminating their exclusive contract with Ador.

The group is set to appear on Nihon TV’s “Best Artist 2024,” Saturday, and Fuji TV’s “2024 FNS Music Festival,” on Dec. 4.

At Gimpo International Airport, in Gyeonggi Province, the group briefly bowed to the press before proceeding to the departure gate without commenting on the ongoing dispute.

The trip represents the girl group’s first step toward pursuing independent activities, despite Ador’s continued assertion of the validity of their contract.

During a press conference in Seoul on Thursday, NewJeans emphasized their commitment to fulfilling previously scheduled engagements, assuring fans and business partners that their contract termination would not cause any disruption to others.

“We are leaving for Japan tomorrow for a scheduled event and will return next week. During that time, we were concerned that Hybe and Ador might engage in media play, so we decided to hold this urgent press conference today to clearly communicate our stance,” member Hanni said.

“We plan to break free from Ador and pursue activities that we truly want to engage in. That said, we will continue with all previously scheduled and contracted activities as planned, including advertisements,” member Danielle added.

“We want to express our gratitude to the advertisers and reassure them that there is no need for concern. It is important to us that our contract termination does not cause any inconvenience to others,” she said.

Meanwhile, NewJeans is also scheduled to perform on the final day of “Countdown Japan 24/25,” taking place from Dec. 28 to 31 at Makuhari Messe in Tokyo.