Secret Deals Expose HYBE and ADOR's Firm Grip on K-Pop Sensation NewJeans

An investigative report reveals restrictive agreements stripping child protections and granting indefinite rights to likenesses and AI voices.

Summary

An investigation by The New York Times reveals restrictive confidential contracts signed by NewJeans under ADOR and HYBE

The agreements omitted standard government child protections while imposing severe behavioral conduct clauses and heavy exit penalties

Provisions grant the label perpetual rights to the members' likenesses and AI-generated voice clones beyond the contract term

An investigative report into confidential agreements signed by record-breaking K-pop group NewJeans has revealed the extraordinary level of institutional control exerted by label ADOR and parent conglomerate HYBE. The New York Times obtained contracts—signed when members were between ages 14 and 17—which exposed how standard protections were stripped away beneath the surface of the group’s global commercial rise.

According to the documents, the contracts removed key safeguards established in the South Korean government’s standard entertainment template, including guarantees for basic human rights, mental and physical health, education, and limits on excessive working hours. Instead, the agreements introduced strict behavioral mandates barring an “insincere attitude,” “neglect of self-management,” “inappropriate romantic relationships,” and making statements that could harm the company’s reputation. “This contract is unusually aggressive,” stated Seoul-based entertainment lawyer Jong-eon Roh. “It restricts the artists’ freedom to a degree rarely seen, even in recent major-label contracts.” U.S. entertainment attorney Dina LaPolt emphasized the stark industry contrast, noting, “In K-pop, you either do what they say, dress as they say, do your hair as they say, or you’re going to get replaced.”

The contracts also enforced aggressive financial mechanisms, requiring members to repay trainee-era cosmetic procedures and establishing calculated exit penalties that only factor in profitable months. Following the group’s attempted exit—which member Hanni Pham framed by stating, “Staying at the company will only prolong our psychological pain”—ADOR terminated member Danielle Marsh in December 2025 and filed a roughly $22 million USD lawsuit over unauthorized solo appearances. Marsh’s attorney, Jung Jong-chae, condemned the action to the Fair Trade Commission as an industry-wide warning: “If you try to escape Hybe’s control, this is the price you will pay.” Additionally, the terms grant the agency the right to indefinitely license the members’ likenesses, repackage recordings at reduced royalty rates, and deploy AI-generated voice clones even after the contracts expire in 2029.

In response, HYBE representatives stated that its contracts are legal, negotiated in good faith with parental consent, fully compliant with child-protection statutes, and structured to protect both talent and substantial corporate investments.