SEOUL, Dec 29 — Plans for NewJeans to reunite as a five-member group have suffered a major blow after their agency ADOR announced it had terminated its exclusive contract with member Danielle, while also signalling impending legal action linked to the long-running dispute.

In a statement released today, ADOR said it had held multiple discussions with members Minji, Hanni and Danielle following a court ruling that upheld the validity of their exclusive contracts. 

The company confirmed that Hanni, together with her family, had engaged in talks in South Korea and ultimately decided to remain with the label, “respecting the court’s decision”.

ADOR said discussions with Minji were ongoing and described them as positive, aimed at “expanding mutual understanding between the two parties”. 

However, the situation with Danielle moved in a markedly different direction.

“We decided that it would be difficult for Danielle to continue both as a member of NewJeans and as an artist at ADOR, and we have notified her that the contract has been terminated,” the company said.

The announcement comes weeks after members Haerin and Hyein ended their dispute with ADOR and returned to the agency, prompting hopes of a full reunion. 

At the time, Minji, Hanni and Danielle had also indicated they would rejoin the company, fuelling expectations that the saga was nearing its end.

Instead, ADOR struck a hard line on Danielle, adding that it would pursue legal measures against members of her family as well as former ADOR chief executive Min Hee-jin. 

The label accused them of bearing “grave responsibility” for provoking the conflict and delaying the group’s return.

ADOR further claimed it had discovered that the members were fed “continuous and twisted information” about the company over an extended period, which it said lay at the heart of the dispute. 

Despite this, the agency said it had initially been willing to take time to resolve misunderstandings in order to restore trust with fans and the public.

The label added that it plans to outline the full details of the conflict at a separate briefing, with the date and format to be announced later.