NewJeans contracts lacked schooling and sleep clauses, NYT report claims

A New York Times report on NewJeans' contracts has pushed the K-pop industry's treatment of young trainees back into the spotlight. Almost a week later, the controversy shows no sign of fading.

What did the report say?

The newspaper reported on Nov. 5 that exclusive contracts signed by the group's members as minors lacked basic protections, such as the right to education and adequate sleep. Clauses also reportedly limited the members from criticizing their agency, Ador. They allowed sales of the group's music and the use of AI-generated versions of their voices even after the deals expired.

The findings were based on five legal experts reviewing non-disclosure agreements and emails. One lawyer said the contracts restrict artists' freedom "to a degree rarely seen, even in recent major-label contracts." The report also said some members began living in dorms and practicing until 2 am at age 12, before they had signed anything.

How did the companies respond?

Ad or and its parent company Hybe denied the allegations right away. They said separate supplementary agreements guaranteed the minors' rights to dignity, education and rest, and that the main contracts had human-rights protections too. Both said the deals were signed after consultations with the members, their parents and legal representatives.

They added that AI-generated content requires individual consent, and that penalties are calculated essentially as in a standard contract. On Monday, the Korea Popmusic Industry Association also voiced regret, saying the report turned a dispute over individual contracts into a structural problem for the whole industry.

Why does this go beyond one group?

A clause on paper is one thing. Enforcing it is another. Four of the five members reportedly stopped formal schooling while they were trainees. Hybe says it did not force them to drop out, but it is unclear whether their rights were really protected.

The issue isn't new. A 2024 National Assembly (South Korea's parliament) audit revealed Hybe monitoring documents with crude comments on idols' looks, including minors, and CEO Lee Jae-sang apologized. In September, interviews with 16 former idols and trainees by the Hanbit Center for Media Workers' Rights described fainting from extreme weight-loss demands and phone inspections.

The standard exclusive contract was introduced after actor Jang Ja-yeon's death in 2009. A supplementary agreement protecting minors was later added, but using the format is not required by law.

What's next?

NewJeans' own dispute with Ador goes back to November 2024, when the members announced they were ending their contracts. In March 2025, the Seoul Central District Court ruled the contracts remained valid.

Now, Korean commentary is urging the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to audit the conditions of trainees and idols and to make standard contracts mandatory.