HYBE responds to NYT report on NewJeans contracts, says leaked agreements ‘are being used as a means to attack the K-pop industry’

HYBE and its subsidiary ADOR have disputed a New York Times report about the 2022 exclusive contracts signed by NewJeans’ five members, who were aged 14 to 17 at the time. The dispute matters because the report described restrictions and post-contract rights that have raised questions about young performers’ protections and the balance of power between artists and their label.

The Times said the contracts lacked some protections in South Korea’s government template for minors and included limits on conduct and public statements, as well as rights to use members’ names, likenesses and voices after the agreements expire in 2029. It also reported that members had to contribute to some beauty-treatment costs and that contract terms were difficult to negotiate. HYBE said its labels use a government-standard agreement for minors and that the contracts followed extensive discussions, written exchanges and legal review; it said the leaked agreements were being used to attack the K-pop industry.