Seoul: K-pop girl group NewJeans announced Thursday that they will terminate their contract with their agency, ADOR, in protest against the company's dispute with its former CEO. Speculation had grown that the five-member group might leave the company to support their executive producer and former ADOR CEO, Min Hee-jin, who was removed as ADOR's CEO by the board of Hybe, its parent firm, for allegedly attempting to take control of ADOR, one of Hybe's labels. According to Yonhap News Agency, neither Hybe nor ADOR have shown any willingness to improve the situation or accept the group's demands. During a press conference in southern Seoul, NewJeans expressed their dissatisfaction, stating that ADOR lacks both the will and the ability to protect them. Hanni, a member of NewJeans, mentioned that staying would be a waste of time and mentally painful. The group emphasized their desire to "freely pursue" their interests and expressed their intention to continue working with Min Hee-jin to advance their music caree r. They also clarified their plans to fulfill their remaining schedule as planned without pursuing legal action, such as filing for a court injunction regarding the contract. Minji, another member of NewJeans, stated at the presser that the group is terminating the contract because ADOR and Hybe have violated its terms. The members asserted that they are not obliged to pay any penalties, as the responsibility lies with the companies. In defense of Min, NewJeans had previously sent a demand letter to the agency, warning of their departure unless Min was reinstated as ADOR's CEO. The group also raised concerns about other girl groups under Hybe's labels allegedly copying their concepts and claimed that they were instructed to ignore these issues. In their letter, NewJeans stated that if their demands were not met within 14 days, they would end their contract. Since their debut in July 2022, NewJeans has become a K-pop sensation with hit songs like "Attention," "Hype Boy," "Ditto," and "Super Shy." However, t erminating the contract leaves uncertainty about whether the group can continue using their team name. Hyein, one of the members, expressed that while they may not be able to use the name NewJeans, the essence of who they are will remain unchanged, and they will not give up the name.