NewJeans’ Photoshoot by ADOR Sparks Fan Anger Over Min Hee-jin’s Exclusion

On December 18, the official Instagram account of NewJeans (@newjeans_official), managed by ADOR, unveiled stunning images from the group’s recent photoshoot for Vogue Korea.

The showcased visuals featured the members in a mix of contemporary fashion and traditional Korean hanbok. Curiously, the collective name “NewJeans”was absent from the Vogue Korea post. The accompanying caption emphasized the individual identities of the members: “The five girls we love—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—sending greetings to the new present,” while acknowledging the creative direction of Min Hee-jin.

Interestingly, the same photoshoot was also featured on @jeanzforfree, a new Instagram account created by the NewJeans members. Similar to the Vogue Korea post, their account highlighted the members’ names and included credit to Min Hee-jin.

However, on the ADOR-managed official account, the posts for the “Vogue Korea”January 2025 edition included hashtags such as #NewJeans and #NewJeans_is_Everywhere, but notably omitted credit for Min Hee-jin.

This situation has led to frustration among fans, particularly regarding the legality of ADOR sharing photos that do not label the group as “NewJeans,”in light of the group’s recent announcement to terminate their contract with the agency. Many have criticized ADOR for neglecting to credit Min Hee-jin, the prominent creative force behind the group’s visual identity.

Here are some comments from fans on the ADOR-managed Instagram:

Stop posting this, they’re independent right now.
Wait… where does it say NewJeans on the cover?
Let them go already.
So, are you intentionally leaving out the creative director?
HYBE wants them back so bad.

In a related development, Min Hee-jin officially resigned from her position as an in-house director at ADOR on November 20. Following her resignation, NewJeans announced their plan to break their exclusive contract with the agency while expressing their desire to continue their collaboration with Min Hee-jin.

In response to these ongoing tensions, ADOR has filed a lawsuit at the Seoul Central District Court aiming to validate the exclusivity of the contract, asserting that their agreement with NewJeans remains legally enforceable.

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