According to reports confirmed on December 31, Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young’s office at the Sejong Government Complex was flooded with protest faxes sent by NewJeans fans, known as Bunnies. It appears that since early morning the minister’s office has received hundreds of documents containing identical messages.
Fan petitions push the Ministry to intervene, accusing ADOR of retaliatory actions that cause harm to its artist. However, it remains unlikely that the ministry will take concrete measures, since the dispute arises from an exclusive contractual conflict between private individuals. Government involvement in these cases may be deemed inappropriate. A ministry official commented that there is little the government can realistically do, stressing that it cannot stop a company from filing a lawsuit and that investigations would also be limited in scope.
newjeans agency dispute school bullying domestic violence
" data-medium-file="https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/07/29015249/newjeans-agency-dispute-school-bullying-domestic-violence-thumbnail-20250729T012454000Z-390x260.webp" data-large-file="https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/07/29015249/newjeans-agency-dispute-school-bullying-domestic-violence-thumbnail-20250729T012454000Z.webp" alt="The Newjeans agency challenges school bullying and domestic violence" class="wp-image-859064" srcset="https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/07/29015249/newjeans-agency-dispute-school-bullying-domestic-violence-thumbnail-20250729T012454000Z.webp 1200w, https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/07/29015249/newjeans-agency-dispute-school-bullying-domestic-violence-thumbnail-20250729T012454000Z-390x260.webp 390w, https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/07/29015249/newjeans-agency-dispute-school-bullying-domestic-violence-thumbnail-20250729T012454000Z-768x513.webp 768w, https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/07/29015249/newjeans-agency-dispute-school-bullying-domestic-violence-thumbnail-20250729T012454000Z-1024x684.webp 1024w, https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/07/29015249/newjeans-agency-dispute-school-bullying-domestic-violence-thumbnail-20250729T012454000Z-780x521.webp 780w, https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/07/29015249/newjeans-agency-dispute-school-bullying-domestic-violence-thumbnail-20250729T012454000Z-400x267.webp 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"/>The protest documents allege that despite previous promises made in court, ADOR has now singled out a member for a damages claim worth tens of billions of won, framing it as retaliation against an idol protesting alleged rights violations. Fans warn that such actions could serve as a warning to other members, functioning as pressure and intimidation. The documents also express concern that the company could force an apology by claiming that ADOR did nothing wrong and that NewJeans merely “misunderstood” the situation.
Fans also said that K-pop supporters around the world do not want to consume such an industry neglects human rights. They stressed that the situation should no longer be treated as a private dispute between individuals and questioned whether ignoring it is in line with the responsibilities of the Korean government and the Ministry of Culture. Calling for “sovereignty of the fans”, they urged authorities to listen to what they described as authentic fan voices and to protect the NewJeans from what they see as corporate abuse.
International fans who are unable to fax were encouraged to participate by tagging or messaging President Lee Jae-myung’s X (formerly Twitter) account. Indeed, overseas fans have already started mentioning the president on the platform, posting messages calling on Korea to reconsider its global image amid the controversy.
This isn’t the first time the NewJeans fandom has taken collective action. Last month, fans sent large volumes of protest faxes to the Ministry of Culture and distributed petitions to members of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. At the time, they called for an investigation into whether ADOR had engaged in persuasion, coercion or pressure that forced members to give up their rights during discussions about their return, after the court ruled in favor of ADOR in the case over the validity of the exclusive contract.
On December 29, ADOR officially announced the termination of Danielle’s exclusive contract, stating that it had determined that continuing the relationship with her as a member of NewJeans and an ADOR artist was no longer possible. The agency confirmed the return of Haerin, Hyein and Hanni, while stressing that discussions with Minji are still ongoing.
In addition to terminating the contract, ADOR filed a lawsuit against Danielle seeking fines and damages. The defendants include Danielle, a family member, and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. The total amount requested is approximately ₩43.09 billion. ADOR said it intends to hold legally accountable those it believes are responsible for triggering the controversy and delaying NewJeans’ return.
Some observers have speculated that if penalties calculated strictly according to the exclusive contract formula were applied, Danielle could face liabilities exceeding ₩100 billion. The damages case has been assigned to the 31 Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court, which is currently hearing related shareholder disputes involving HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.
Sources: naver
