ADOR sparks speculation over Minji’s return to NewJeans

07 May 2026, 01:24 by Minsoo-Kim · allkpop

ADOR appears to have signaled openness toward Minji returning to NewJeans.

On May 7 KST, ADOR posted “HAPPY MINJI DAY” on NewJeans’ official social media account alongside photos of cookies personally baked by Minji.

The cookies were the same ones Minji recently handed out to fans after visiting a birthday café event prepared in celebration of her birthday. Notably, this marked the first time NewJeans’ official account publicly mentioned Minji since the controversy surrounding former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin.

Back in November 2024, all five NewJeans members claimed their exclusive contracts with ADOR had been violated and unilaterally announced contract termination while beginning independent activities.

However, the group later lost the first trial in the lawsuit confirming the validity of their contracts with ADOR in October last year. Following the ruling, the members reportedly chose not to appeal and gradually expressed intentions to return to the agency.

ADOR later announced in December that member Danielle could no longer continue activities as part of NewJeans and filed a damages lawsuit worth approximately 43.1 billion KRW(~30 million USD) against Danielle, one of her family members, and Min Hee Jin.

Meanwhile, members Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni are reportedly set to return to ADOR, while Minji is still discussing specific terms regarding her potential return.

As a result, public interest has intensified over whether NewJeans will ultimately continue as a four-member or three-member group. Although ADOR has not released an official statement regarding Minji’s status, fans have reacted strongly to the birthday celebration post, with many speculating that Minji’s return to NewJeans may already be underway.

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