On November 13, HYBE shares jumped ₩18,000 (6.19%) from the previous session, trading at ₩309,000 on the Korea Exchange. The surge follows news that all five NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein have announced their return to ADOR after a year-long contractual dispute.
This announcement marks the end of a tumultuous chapter for the chart-topping girl group. In November 2024, the members declared their exclusive contracts terminated due to internal conflict between ADOR’s CEO and parent company HYBE, specifically surrounding the ousting of former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. ADOR disputed the termination, asserting the contracts were still valid, and filed a legal injunction to prevent the members from engaging in independent activities.
Korean courts sided with ADOR both in the injunction and first trial. Unless the members appeal by midnight on November 14, the court’s ruling that the exclusive contracts remain valid will become final.
Amid these developments, ADOR confirmed the return of Haerin and Hyein, with the remaining members also expressing their intent to rejoin. Analysts now expect a full group comeback under ADOR, which could reshape HYBE’s revenue projections for the coming years.
In a report issued the same day, Meritz Securities raised HYBE’s target stock price from ₩370,000 to ₩380,000. Analyst Kim Min Young wrote, “NewJeans surpassed its break-even point within a year and generated ₩33.5 billion in operating profit for ADOR in 2023. With a full-group comeback in the second half of next year, they could contribute ₩6–7 billion in 2026 and potentially over ₩20–30 billion annually from 2027 onward.”
The investment community views NewJeans as a significant cash cow for HYBE, and their return is expected to stabilize investor confidence and enhance the label’s market competitiveness.
The return of NewJeans who rapidly became global icons with chart-topping hits and luxury endorsements comes at a critical time. Their reappearance under the HYBE umbrella not only secures a valuable IP asset but also calms market anxieties triggered by the internal rift between HYBE and ADOR’s leadership.
All eyes are now on whether the group will file an appeal before the November 14 deadline. However, given the confirmed returns and lack of resistance from the members, it’s likely the ruling will be accepted cementing their contractual ties with ADOR and opening the door for NewJeans to dominate K-pop once again.
Sources: Daum