'Controversial' NewJeans Contract... NYT: "Some Standard Contract Language Missing"

Reports say provisions on minors' basic rights were omitted, among other things
HYBE: "Lawfully negotiated; contractual penalties are industry standard"

The New York Times (NYT) has sparked controversy by obtaining and reporting on the exclusive contracts signed by NewJeans members and their agency, ADOR. HYBE, ADOR's parent company, said in a written statement to the NYT that the contracts were lawfully negotiated.

Members of girl group NewJeans answer reporters' questions as they leave the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, after a hearing on March 7, 2025, regarding their injunction request to preserve their status as a group under their agency and prohibit the signing of advertising contracts, among other things. Yonhap News Agency

According to the NYT on Thursday (local time), the exclusive contracts signed when the NewJeans members were between 14 and 17 years old did not include some of the provisions in the government's standard exclusive contract concerning underage entertainers' rights to health, education, sleep and rest.

The contracts reportedly also included restrictions on "insincere attitudes," "inappropriate dating" and public statements that could damage the company's reputation.

The NYT reported that the contracts also included a clause requiring members to pay some beauty-related expenses, including plastic surgery and skin care during their trainee years, as well as a method for calculating contractual penalties based on the month in which actual revenue was generated.

The contracts also reportedly allowed the company to continue using the members' names, likenesses and voices, as well as related sound recordings, even after the contracts expired. The NYT said the rights to use their voices could also extend to uses involving artificial intelligence (AI).

HYBE said the contracts were lawfully negotiated in accordance with the principle of good faith and that the provisions were intended to protect the financial investments of both the artists and the company.

HYBE said the government's standard exclusive contract is a recommendation, not a legally binding requirement, and that the members' parents agreed to the adjustments made during the contract negotiations.

HYBE said it complies with laws protecting minors and does not require or encourage anyone to undergo plastic surgery or procedures against their will. It also said that, in NewJeans' case, the company covered the initial costs incurred during the members' trainee years, allowing them to receive revenue settlements immediately after debut without incurring any trainee debt.

The NYT said that "legal experts described the contracts as unusually aggressive."

Meanwhile, the NYT noted that "K-pop has long faced allegations of child exploitation, with agencies often recruiting young children, subjecting them to years of intensive training and then passing the costs on to them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.