An impassable trap
Trapped until the very end
Looking at the current drama with NewJeans (more on that later), I can’t help but think of CL from 2NE1. Her story is a classic example of how rough things can get.
In a nutshell - CL was able to leave YG Entertainment in 2019, but the road to this moment was very bumpy. When she was still in YG, she was met with a lot of unfairness even though she was a big part of YG success. She was a legend, as was her group. Speaking of the group - YG disbanded them, just like that. Without even informing members about it. Mega unfair, but also hardly understandable. At that moment for sure you couldn’t say that 2NE1 fame was over. Members were still very legendary, as a group and as individuals, and fans were waiting for news music from them. At the end of the day, one of the reasons that the girls went on hiatus was the debut of a new girl band that was hard not to hear about today - BLACKPINK. Group that was described by YG himself as “a pretty version of 2NE1” (yes, he really said that!).
From one side were strongly inferior practices of the agency towards the CL’s group, but also her itself. Even though I wasn't a hard core observer of CL's solo career, I was counting days until her breaking free from agency. YG CEO Yang Hyun Suk just hit a total pause on her solo career at a certain point. Even though everything was looking very good. She was already a legend in Korea, and she was going to debut in the USA, which did not happen when she was in YG. She had connections, like a solid friendship with Will.i.am, but couldn’t fully use them because YG hit pause on her activities.
CL had songs, music videos, and full projects that never saw the light of day under YG. Eventually, she started speaking out about the lack of support and transparency from YG’s CEO, Yang Hyun Suk. But she still had to wait for her contract to expire - losing rights to many of her own tracks in the process. But something good came from this situation, after she left YG she released a great EP “In The Name Of Love”, followed by album “ALPHA”. What’s more, the grand return of 2NE1 happened (this required her to resume cooperation with YG Entertainment). Honestly, that move says everything about her dedication to the group!
Breakdown that ACTUALLY made real change
One of the biggest scandals involving contract disputes in K-pop is the story of TVXQ, a group under SM Entertainment that debuted in 2003. They started as a five-member group and eventually became... a duo. So, what happened?
In 2009, Jaejoong, Junsu, and Yoochun sued SM Entertainment over an insanely long contract period (13 years!) and unfair profit distribution. On top of that, there was a dispute surrounding their JYJ subunit (the trio who filed the lawsuit) and its promotion in Japan through Avex, a Japanese agency. In the end, the three members left TVXQ (the other two, Yunho and Changmin, didn’t take part in the lawsuit) and successfully terminated their contracts with SM. But of course, it didn’t just end there.
Here’s where we hit the core of the issue or at least one of the biggest problems idols face when trying to break free: blacklisting. Even though JYJ legally cut ties with SM and left the group, they were as widely believed banned from appearing on Korea’s three major broadcast stations (KBS, SBS, MBC). That’s a huge block to success in an industry where TV performances are key to promotion. Still, the members built solid solo careers outside of SM. Kim Jaejoong finally broke the ban and appeared on major Korean TV again - after 14 years!
When it comes to JYJ's battle with SM Entertainment, thanks to their case, new regulations were introduced that limited entertainment contracts in Korea to a maximum of 7 years. Proof that even a messy breakup can lead to something good.
History likes to repeat itself
One might think that this practice of blacklisting idols now only applies to those with major offenses (like DUIs, committing sexual offenses, etc.), but recently another similar story has come to light, this time with the EXO CBX subunit... which, by the way, was also born under the wings of SM Entertainment.
One of the members, Xiumin, was supposed to promote his solo album "Interview X" on KBS’s Music Bank, but the broadcast didn’t approve it. The agency currently managing his promotions, One Hundred Label (the same one managing Baekhyun and Chen), accused KBS of prioritizing SM artists, saying that EXO-CBX members weren’t allowed to appear on shows where any current SM artist was performing.
Sound familiar? Many fans are drawing parallels between what’s happening to EXO-CBX and what happened to TVXQ and JYJ years ago. However, let’s go back to the beginning... EXO CBX, is actually a subunit of the original EXO group, which has 9 members. The group was the last in the industry to have a 10-year contract. After that contract expired, Suho, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Chen, Xiumin, Kai, and Sehun all renewed their contracts with SM. D.O. (Doh Kyungsoo) was the only member who did not renew his contract and did not remain bound by any obligations to SM Entertainment (possibly you can include here also Lay, who started his own agency). Now D.O. negotiates his EXO activities with SM on a case-by-case basis, as SM Entertainment manages the group.
Fast-forward to 2023: Baekhyun launched his own label, INB100, and Chen and Xiumin joined him. Then in 2024, INB100 was acquired by One Hundred Label, which now manages the trio. That same year, Baekhyun, Chen, and Xiumin informed SM that they were terminating their contracts, citing breaches - like not receiving transparent payment breakdowns and being pressured into signing unreasonable terms. SM responded, saying:
Bravery act or stepping out of line?
Now let’s go back to what pushed me to write this whole article in the first place: NewJeans.
And no, I won’t try to untangle the full timeline of the Min Hee-jin vs. Hybe/ADOR conflict. If I did, I’d probably end up collapsing mid-way. But I’ll do my best to give you a clear and organized intro.
Hybe, one of South Korea’s entertainment giants, owns a sub-label called ADOR, founded in 2021. ADOR is the label behind NewJeans. In April 2024, Hybe demanded the resignation of ADOR’s CEO, Min Hee-jin, after an internal audit alleged she was preparing to take full control of ADOR and break away from Hybe. Min didn’t step down quietly and surprisingly, NewJeans themselves stepped into the ring.
During a livestream, the members publicly defended Min, asking for her reinstatement and accusing Hybe of “inhumane” treatment. To them, Min wasn’t just a CEO, she was the creative force, the “mother” of their success. The conflict escalated when Hanni testified in front of the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee, criticizing Hybe.
Eventually, in November 2024, NewJeans announced they were terminating their contracts, claiming Hybe/ADOR had failed to fulfill their obligations. But, here’s the problem, contracts don’t just dissolve because one side says so. Naturally, the agency questioned the legality of this move, and the matter went to court.
Meanwhile, ADOR kept things... oddly friendly? They continued posting NewJeans content on social media and even took legal action to protect the members from online hate. At the same time, the group declared they’d continue under a new name: NJZ.
In the spring of 2025, NJZ announced a hiatus after losing a court battle with ADOR, which prevented them from operating without ADORE's permission.
How will this end? Honestly, no one knows.
Maybe they’ll renegotiate the contract. Maybe they’ll split for good. What’s clear is that neither side wants to let go. NewJeans seem determined, but ADOR isn’t giving up either.
And public opinion? It’s all over the place.
Some people think the girls acted rashly, manipulated either by Min Hee-jin or even their own parents, who have also been involved behind the scenes. Others see the members as brave - young idols refusing to let themselves be used by a system that still runs on outdated, exploitative rules.
I’ll admit it: when the news first broke, I didn’t get it.
Here was a rookie group (NewJeans debuted in 2022) going directly against their agency. That rarely happens. Even veteran artists with years of experience usually choose to stay quiet and wait out their contracts.
NewJeans, on the other hand, are barely a few years into their career and already riding high on success. And still - they challenged their agency. They even unilaterally declared their contract void, which I thought was a death sentence in this industry.
What shocked me even more? ADOR’s response. For a company supposedly under attack, they’ve shown... oddly warm behavior toward the group. They claim they still want to work with the members. They still promote them. What’s going on? Is ADOR just protecting its image? Are they keeping the door open in hopes of luring the girls back - only to potentially sideline them later? Or do they genuinely believe reconciliation is possible?
Is a new change ahead of us?
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