HYBE and its subsidiary ADOR have defended the contracts signed by NewJeans after a New York Times investigation revealed terms that allegedly restricted the members’ personal lives, working conditions and rights to their own images and voices.
The investigation examined agreements the five members signed in 2022, when they were between 14 and 17 years old.
According to the newspaper, the contracts excluded several protections included in South Korea’s standard entertainment agreements for minors, such as guaranteed rest periods, access to education and limits on working hours.
Instead, the agreements prohibited behaviour including inappropriate romantic relationships, poor self-management and public statements that could damage the agency’s reputation, even if those statements were true.
The contracts also reportedly allowed ADOR to use the members’ names, images and voices after their agreements expired, potentially including AI-generated content.
NewJeans’ plastic surgery costs
The investigation also raised concerns about how ADOR managed the members’ appearances before their debut.
According to The New York Times, the agency photographed the young performers from several angles and suggested cosmetic procedures to some of them. Two people familiar with the situation described the recommendations to the newspaper.
The contracts also contained a clause requiring members to cover a significant portion of expenses for plastic surgery, skincare and other beauty treatments during their trainee years.
However, HYBE denied forcing or pressuring artists to undergo cosmetic procedures against their wishes. The company said it paid NewJeans’ training expenses, meaning the members did not have to repay those costs after debuting.
The company also acknowledged that one member’s mother had sought changes to the clause covering cosmetic expenses. According to ADOR, its legal team prepared alternative terms, but the agency’s management at the time rejected the proposed revisions.
Min Hee-jin disputes HYBE’s account
The disagreement also brought former ADOR chief executive Min Hee-jin back into the spotlight. HYBE said Min supervised negotiations in 2022, alongside an executive she appointed, the members and their families.
The controversy follows a lengthy legal dispute between NewJeans and ADOR over the group’s attempt to terminate its contracts in 2024.
A Seoul court subsequently upheld the agreements. Four members returned to ADOR, while the agency terminated Danielle‘s contract in December 2025 and filed a damages lawsuit.
