"What do you mean 'correct' it? Don't you know it's only you?" Daniel, the behind-the-scenes of NewJeans' expulsion [★FOCUS]

*This content was translated by AI.

Could there have been misunderstandings between the parties? Behind-the-scenes details were revealed regarding the termination of Daniel's exclusive contract with her agency, ADOR, after she received notice of expulsion from the girl group NewJeans.

The Seoul Central District Court Civil Consolidated Division 31 held the second round of arguments on the 11th in a damages lawsuit filed by ADOR against Daniel, her family, and Min Hee-jin Jeon (CEO). Both legal teams appeared to continue arguing that each side remains responsible for the conflict between ADOR and NewJeans, and between HYBE and Min Hee-jin Jeon (CEO). On this day, both sides also disputed whether KakaoTalk conversation records involving Min Hee-jin Jeon (CEO) should be admitted as evidence.

ADOR's side claimed that in October 2024 conversations, Min Hee-jin Jeon (CEO) told the parents of the NewJeans members that she would "design a plan to prevent financial damages such as compensation and penalties," and that she would "prepare compensation if they leave HYBE." Regarding Daniel's mother, ADOR stated, "She played the most significant role among the parents of the NewJeans members in Min Hee-jin Jeon (CEO)'s illegal acts," and added, "Min Hee-jin Jeon (CEO) instigated it, and Daniel's mother played a considerable role between Min Hee-jin and the members, as well as between Min Hee-jin and the members' parents. Therefore, the mother was also sued as an accomplice to Min Hee-jin for damages."

In response, Daniel's side countered, "We were fully aware that there were grounds for terminating the contract with ADOR. The collaboration matter was merely exploring possibilities and should not be portrayed as something extraordinary." They further stated, "It is impossible to continue entertainment activities. The liquidated damages amount to 100 billion won, a huge sum; how can one continue activities? The claim to continue activities is also an irresponsible assertion, and the trust relationship is breaking down due to the lawsuit that is tormenting Daniel."

Notably, ADOR pointed to a Telegram conversation on the day the first-instance court ruled against NewJeans members' application for a temporary injunction against ADOR, stating that Daniel's side was independently proceeding with featuring and filming a music video for the title track of the American band Emotional Orange's album, excluding the agency. ADOR also claimed that Emotional Orange had already invested $175,000 (approximately 250 million won) in artist costs and other expenses. ADOR's side noted, "Even after the injunction decision was made, it was clear that there was an intention to continue violating the agreement without any plan to comply."

Daniel's side responded, "We believed the exclusive contract would be terminated legally, so this was a measure we could reasonably take and merely explored future possibilities." Regarding other activities, they rebutted, "This was a matter previously communicated in writing, and since no formal contract was signed, no unjust enrichment was obtained."

Both sides also showed differing positions regarding the process of ADOR's return following NewJeans' loss in the lawsuit over their exclusive contract with ADOR, followed by ADOR's notice of Daniel's expulsion.

ADOR's side said, "Who started this situation first?" and added, "We endured this and were harassed for over a year, so we do not understand the claim that Daniel's side has been suffering since losing the lawsuit." They further asked, "How can one claim they cannot continue activities after being notified of contract termination, only to say now that ADOR terminated the contract? What is the factual basis for this?"

In contrast, Daniel's side stated, "After losing the exclusive contract lawsuit, we gave up the appeal and declared our intention to return to ADOR, but we were unilaterally notified of termination due to past remarks and actions. We requested specific details on what needed to be corrected, but these were ignored based on the relationship between Daniel's mother and Min Hee-jin." They added, "As of now, all members are unable to continue activities. It is questionable whether NewJeans can be normalized."

ADOR's side stated, "After the verdict, we held meetings to address past issues, understand the full context, and determine whether this person is trustworthy. During this process, we learned many new facts, and thus our revised demands arose. The trust relationship was severely damaged, and to restore it, we needed to know what Daniel could correct. Since only you know what needs to be corrected, you should acknowledge this. If corrections are made and we reach a stage of restoring trust, we would move forward together. However, if the response is merely formal or evasive, or if, considering the relationship between Daniel's mother and Min Hee-jin Jeon (CEO), proceeding together feels like carrying a bomb, we concluded that it would be best to part ways." They also noted, "Correcting the situation does not mean 'do not do this in the future' or 'stop what you are doing now.' It simply meant properly returning the results of past actions, yet there was no discussion on this at all."

In contrast, Daniel's side stated, "ADOR sent a formal notice demanding Daniel correct past violations, and we appealed to them to clarify whether correcting the violations was physically possible. ADOR did not respond and instead notified us of contract termination. The ADOR CEO also appeared in court and stated that he trusts the NewJeans members, which is why we accepted the lawsuit loss and declared our return."

In November 2024, NewJeans claimed that all five members' contracts were terminated due to ADOR's breach of the exclusive contract, unilaterally notified the termination, and began independent activities. However, in October 2025, NewJeans lost the first-instance lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of their exclusive contract with ADOR, and the members, without filing an appeal, sequentially expressed their intention to return to ADOR.

However, in December 2025, ADOR notified Daniel that she could no longer continue as a member of NewJeans and terminated her exclusive contract, subsequently filing a damages lawsuit seeking 43.1 billion won against Daniel, one of her family members, and Min Hee-jin. Currently, Haerin, Hyein, and Hani have decided to return to ADOR, while Minji is negotiating specific conditions for her return.

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*This content was translated by AI.