K-pop band NewJeans set to resume with record label after court loss

All five members of the K-pop girl group NewJeans say they plan to return to their record label after losing a long-running legal battle to leave over what they said was mistreatment and harassment.

SEOUL, South Korea — All five members of the K-pop girl group NewJeans say they plan to return to their record label after losing a long-running legal battle to leave over what they said was mistreatment and harassment.

The band, one of the top-selling acts in the world, announced its intention to return to the label, Ador, in separate statements on Wednesday, with Haerin and Hyein confirming their decision first, followed by the other three members, Danielle, Minji and Hanni, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Last year, NewJeans unilaterally announced a split from Ador, citing the agency’s alleged failure to protect its members following the dismissal of Min Hee-jin, the former chief executive of Ador and the group’s mentor. Ador denied the allegations.

Last month, a South Korean court rejected NewJeans’ argument, ruling that its exclusive contract with Ador remains valid as Min being CEO is not necessarily part of Ador’s contractual obligations.

Ador, which is based in Seoul, confirmed the return of Haerin and Hyein and said it was checking on the return of the other three members.