NewJeans contracts waived rights to 'sleep, rest and free choice', report says

Members of the K-pop group NewJeans signed record label contracts that waived their rights to "sleep, rest and free choice", according to a New York Times report, with the deals signed when the performers were aged 14 to 17.

The contracts with Ador, a subsidiary of Hybe, the company behind BTS and Katseye, also banned an "insincere attitude" and "inappropriate romantic relationships", the report said. They struck standard child protection language covering "basic human rights", including the members' right to education.

Portions of the Korean government's K-pop contract template were excluded too, including wording stating that a label "shall not demand that a performer who is a minor engage in excessive physical exposure or overly sexually suggestive expression".

Hybe representatives told the New York Times that the company adheres to child protection laws and works hard to make sure its artists work and train in safe conditions.

Dispute with the label

NewJeans — Minji, Hanni, Haerin, Hyein and Danielle — are among the decade's most popular K-pop acts. In 2023 the five-member group followed Blackpink to become the second Korean girl group to score a number one album on the Billboard charts.

In November 2024 the band announced their decision to leave Ador amid contract disputes and claims the label had deliberately undermined their careers. Member Hanni alleged the group were mistreated and accused Ador of "deliberate miscommunications and manipulation" in a statement to South Korea's parliament.

Ador has consistently maintained that it did not violate its duty. "A unilateral claim that trust has been broken does not constitute valid grounds for termination of a contract," the label said. In December 2025 the label sued member Danielle, a member of her family and the band's producer for a total of nearly $30m for damages and a contract break penalty. Hybe said its exit penalty fees do not exceed industry standards.

Training and contract terms

By the time they signed their contracts in January 2022, the members had already clocked in years of training in K-pop "boot camps" teaching vocal training, choreography and foreign languages. Schedules were strict, one source told the New York Times, and rehearsals could stretch as late as 2am. The youngest member, Hyein, was 12 at the time.

After the members received their exclusive contracts, the parents of one member requested multiple changes and were told that if they did not sign in its current form, "the contract itself" could be reconsidered. Hybe said its contracts were legal and negotiated in good faith, with protections for the artist as well as the label's investment.

The contract struck government language forbidding work for "excessive periods of time", and stipulated that the band would have to repay a significant percentage of the plastic surgery costs common in K-pop. "We do not even recommend cosmetic surgery or procedures against an individual's wishes," Hybe said.

Ador was also granted rights to use the members' "name, photographs, likeness, handwriting, voice and any other elements" in perpetuity — going further than government recommendations that such rights end at contract termination — and the right to use the members as AI chatbots or clones.

In July the group promised that 2026 would be the "summer of NewJeans", with a teaser showing a four-piece line-up without Danielle. New music has yet to emerge. The Guardian has reached out to Hybe for comment.

Source: The Guardian.