NewJeans Faces New Turmoil Amidst Comeback Process; 'Antarctic' Remark Sparks Confusion

The exclusive contract dispute involving the group NewJeans may have reached a pause with the court's ruling, but the path to their comeback has once again been mired in confusion, ushering in a new phase.

While some members officially announced their intention to return after thorough discussions with their agency ADOR, the remaining members ignited controversy by announcing their stance through a 'comeback notification' without prior consultation with the agency.

The conflict, which began in November last year when members held a press conference to declare the termination of their exclusive contracts, saw a similar pattern in this latest comeback announcement. On the very day Haerin and Hyein formalized their return after official talks with ADOR, three other members informed the press of their separate comeback intentions through their legal representatives just two hours later.

Notably, the phrase "one member is currently in Antarctica, causing a delay in delivery" caused unprecedented confusion. Speculation about the member in Antarctica flooded social media and online communities. A purported sighting of Hanni in Ushuaia, Argentina (the southernmost city in South America), even spread among international netizens.

This chaos stemmed from the 'unclear expression' in the members' announcement and the unilateral notification without consultation with the agency. The court, siding with ADOR in its ruling on the validity of the exclusive contract on the 30th of last month, clarified that the legal relationship between NewJeans and ADOR remains valid, making activities impossible without the agency's approval.

Despite this, the members have repeatedly handled matters through 'emotional declarations' and 'unilateral notifications' rather than adhering to legal procedures, both during the contract termination and now during the comeback.

ADOR has adopted a cautious stance, stating, "We are verifying the intentions of the three members regarding their desire to return" and "We are arranging individual meetings with the three members." This is because a team's normalization is not simply a matter of members expressing their will to return; all necessary procedures for actual activities, including relationship recovery, work coordination, and future plans, can only be achieved through consultation with the company.

The NewJeans situation starkly illustrates the chaos that arises when a lack of communication, disregard for procedures, and emotionally driven decisions become repetitive. What NewJeans needs now is not emotional messages, but responsible consultation, clear communication, and a comeback process based on established procedures. All eyes are now on what outcome ADOR will reach after its meetings with the members.

Netizens expressed frustration and urged for a swift normalization, commenting, "Here we go again," "Isn't the communication too lacking?" "The Antarctica joke is a bit much..." and "I really want to see them perform normally soon."