ADOR, the music label under HYBE and home to NewJeans, has completed several demos for the group’s next album and submitted the list of tracks to the Seoul Central District Court as evidence of its continued management responsibilities, The Korea Herald has learned.
According to a legal source, Friday, ADOR submitted the list to the court in July. The list is believed to contain more than five demos, as it pertains to a full-length album.
During a trial session that month, the presiding judges asked whether the list included new songs, to which ADOR’s legal representatives confirmed that it did. The submission was intended to demonstrate that the label has been fulfilling its duties as NewJeans’ management company amid the ongoing legal dispute with the group.
The tracks ADOR in the list submitted to the court are in MR form, meaning the instrumental tracks have been completed, but no member vocals have been recorded.
In a press statement released Thursday, ADOR said, ‘As we have stated during the trial, we have completed preparations for NewJeans’ official album release and are waiting to resume their activities.’
Although the kind of music Ador has produced for the group remains unknown, The Korea Herald confirmed that Beasts And Natives Alike (BANA) – the creative collective behind NewJeans’ previous hit songs such as ‘Attention,’ ‘Hype Boy,’ ‘OMG’ and ‘Ditto’ – appears not to have participated in the new material.
Min Hee-jin, former ADOR CEO. Image: Courtesy of ADOR
BANA, founded by Kim Ki-hyun, a longtime friend of Min Hee-jin, was rumored to be attempting to bring NewJeans under its management in February, when the group announced its departure from the agency, though that speculation later proved false.
The conflict between NewJeans and ADOR began in November 2024, when the group unilaterally announced the termination of its exclusive contract, citing a management and production vacuum following Min’s dismissal as its CEO in August that year. NewJeans argued that their contract was built on trust in Min and that her removal constituted a serious breach of the label’s contractual obligations.
However, the Seoul court ruled Thursday that NewJeans must maintain their exclusive contract with ADOR, stating that Min’s dismissal alone did not justify contract termination. The court said it found no managerial vacuum that prevented ADOR from carrying out its duties, adding that ‘the members’ trust in Min Hee-jin alone cannot be considered a fundamental contractual obligation.’
Following the ruling, NewJeans announced through their legal representative, law firm Sejong, that they respect the court’s decision but plan to immediately appeal, saying, ‘The relationship of trust with ADOR has been completely destroyed,’ making it ‘impossible to return and continue normal activities under the company.’