ADOR claims it 'did everything it could' in a 22-page letter to NewJeans

An official letter of response K-pop agency ADOR sent to the members of girl group NewJeans on Nov. 28, revealed by the members on Nov. 29 morning, and the members holding a press conference the day before at right [NEWJEANS, JOINT PRESS CORPS]

 
Girl group NewJeans revealed the entire 22-page response from ADOR to reporters as it promised during a press conference held the previous day.
 
"We are deeply saddened by how we were not given the chance to meet with the artists to talk about making plans for next year and how things turned out," read the letter, signed by Kim Ju-young, the current CEO of ADOR.
 

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The mail was sent on paper on Thursday afternoon and via email at 7 p.m. The members of NewJeans sent out an email for an emergency press conference at 6 p.m., before having opened the letter from ADOR.
 
"ADOR has always tried to come to a reasonable solution to problems whenever they arose," the agency said. "Just because these efforts were not the specific kind that the artists wanted or did not meet their expectations, it does not mean that we violated the exclusive contracts."
 

Members of girl group NewJeans read their statement and answer questions from reporters during an emergency press conference held on Nov. 28 in southern Seoul. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Members of girl group NewJeans read their statement and answer questions from reporters during an emergency press conference held on Nov. 28 in southern Seoul. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

 
"In addition, a lot of the matters that the artists took issue with said or done by a third party outside of ADOR. ADOR did everything we could as the management company of the artists but there were inevitable limitations to certain measures the artists and the artists' parents asked, such as getting an apology from a specific person or getting someone to settle," added the agency.
 
ADOR listed the measures it took regarding the eight demands made by NewJeans on Nov. 13, which the agency was given 14 days to fix upon receiving the print copy of the letter starting Nov. 14.
 
The eight items were: Dealing with HYBE's internal report that read, "We've been tormented by the NewaeLe [NewJeans, aespa and Le Sserafim], but all we have to do is get rid of New[Jeans] and start anew"; Getting the manager at Belift Lab who told girl group ILLIT to "ignore" Hanni; Replacing the HYBE PR officer who downplayed NewJeans' achievements; Deleting the videos and photographs of NewJeans that have been used without their consent; Controlling the damage inflicted on NewJeans made by unfair album sales; To resolve the dispute between music video director Shin Woo-seok at Dolphiners Film; To make every effort possible to keep NewJeans' original colors and continue group activities; And to reinstate former CEO Min Hee-jin.
 

An official letter of response K-pop agency ADOR sent to the members of girl group NewJeans on Nov. 28, revealed by the members on Nov. 29 morning [NEWJEANS]

The entire 22-page official letter of response and four more pages of additional information that K-pop agency ADOR sent to the members of girl group NewJeans on Nov. 28, revealed by the members on Nov. 29 morning [NEWJEANS]

 
"Parts of the requests made by the artists were either too abstract or too broad, going beyond our authority or legal duties," ADOR said. "Still we will take all measures possible to meet the needs as the management company of the artists. We will share the process on a regular basis if necessary, and we hope to communicate with the artists."
 
"It is the artists that are refusing to talk about our plans for their activities next year," continued the agency. "We have been preparing to make plans without forcing them into meeting with, out of respect for the artists [...] We emphasize that we are not only capable but also willing to fulfill our duties as the agency of artists to carry out their needs and continue their entertainment activities."
 
NewJeans claimed during Thursday's press conference that their exclusive contracts ended as of Friday because ADOR failed to meet their needs, thereby breaching their exclusive contracts.
 
ADOR refuted the claims in a statement immediately after the conference, arguing that the contracts still stand.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]