NewJeans' ADOR Contract Let the Label Clone Their Voices With AI After 2029

The New York Times says NewJeans' 2022 contract with ADOR contains "no language concerning child protection," though the five members were between 14 and 17 when they signed. One of five legal experts the paper consulted, Seoul entertainment lawyer Noh Jong-eon, called it "an unusually aggressive contract."

The NYT reported on the 5th (local time) that it had obtained the agreements, analyzed them and published them. It flagged clauses on minor protections, cosmetic surgery costs, restrictions on personal behavior, how financial penalties for breach are calculated, and the use of names and likenesses after the contract ends.

Trainee life, and a contract that wasn't up for discussion

The members began living in dormitories at 12, the paper reported. People familiar with the situation, who asked for anonymity for fear of retaliation from the agency, said rehearsals running until 2 a.m. were not unusual. CCTV covered the practice areas, and four of the five members left school during training.

A HYBE representative told the paper the company strictly complies with child protection law and does everything possible to keep performers safe. The representative added that artists are not forced to quit school or penalized for taking breaks.

The NYT countered with emails suggesting the terms were effectively non-negotiable. In January 2022, before signing, one member's mother asked for several changes. An ADOR vice president replied that if she did not agree to the current draft, including the points she raised, "it may be best to reconsider the contract itself."

Surgery bills and AI voice rights

The contract also made members pay for beauty costs, including skin care, cosmetic surgery and body contouring. Per the NYT, they had to reimburse the company for a substantial share of what it spent on surgery and other procedures during their trainee years. Two people associated with the group said the agency recommended cosmetic procedures to some members before debut. HYBE told the paper it "does not recommend cosmetic surgery or procedures against an individual's wishes."

The longest-reaching clause covers the end of the deal. In standard contracts, a company's right to use an artist's name, image and voice generally ends with the agreement. NewJeans' contract reportedly lets ADOR keep using those rights, or license them to third parties, after it expires in 2029. That includes AI voice clones and chatbots.

The NYT's bigger point

The paper wrote that K-pop "has long been plagued by allegations of child exploitation," with agencies recruiting young children, training them for years and passing the costs on to them. It noted that several idols have taken their own lives. Its conclusion: even for one of the most successful groups of its generation, years of promised reform and government intervention have changed little.

The gap between HYBE's statements and the contract text is the part to watch. The denials address how trainees were treated, while the clauses in question address what they signed.

What Nate Pann users said

1. 1

   Anyone still cursing at NewJeans must have lost their minds. Who is making you do this?

   183 upvotes, 23 downvotes▲183▼23
2. 2

   Typical HYBE, tsk tsk.

   169 upvotes, 33 downvotes▲169▼33
3. 3

   Look at the headline: they deliberately played up the surgery angle to make it sensational, but whether or not they could get surgery is all in the documents.

   110 upvotes, 12 downvotes▲110▼12
4. 4

   The K-pop industry has always worked like this. Don't you know NewJeans got settlements worth billions of won back in their first year? Honestly, this victim act is exhausting.

   112 upvotes, 71 downvotes▲112▼71
5. 5

   I'm so tired of this.

   99 upvotes, 60 downvotes▲99▼60

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/11/05/world/asia/kpop-newjeans-contract.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/05/world/asia/how-kpop-works-contracts.html