On May 7, before rumors about Minji returning to the NewJeans group, ADOR company (under HYBE Group) said: "We are still continuing internal discussions about future activities.
Currently, there is no other specific position to announce, but I hope everyone understands that the discussions are taking place in a positive direction.
This response quickly attracted attention from fans in the context of increasing speculation surrounding NewJeans' future lineup.
Previously, at exactly 0:00 on May 7, ADOR posted the line "Happy Birthday Minji" on NewJeans' official social media accounts, along with images of biscuits made by Minji herself.
It is known that those cookies were a gift Minji gave to fans after she visited a birthday cafe prepared for her by fans.
This is the first time NewJeans' official account has publicly mentioned Minji since the scandal related to former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin.
But fans pay attention to the ADOR detail that the display time in the Minji cake photo series is January 11, 2025, wondering if this is just a mistake or there is any hidden meaning.
In November 2024, all 5 NewJeans members (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, Hyein) held a press conference to unilaterally announce the termination of their exclusive contract with ADOR, the reason given was that ADOR violated the contract, after which they started independent activities.
However, NewJeans lost the first trial in the lawsuit confirming the validity of the contract with ADOR in October last year. After the verdict, the members did not appeal and gradually expressed their intention to return to the company.
But in December 2025, ADOR announced the termination of the contract with Danielle, meaning she could not continue to operate as a NewJeans member. At the same time, ADOR filed a lawsuit demanding compensation of about 43.1 billion won for Danielle, a relative in her family, and former CEO Min Hee Jin.
Meanwhile, members Haerin, Hyein and Hanni are said to be returning to ADOR, while Minji is still discussing specific terms related to her ability to return.
Therefore, the public is particularly interested in whether NewJeans will ultimately continue to operate with a 4-person or 3-person lineup.
Last month, ADOR confirmed that NewJeans is "in the pre-production stage for the group's new music story", after Hanni, Haerin and Hyein were caught appearing in Copenhagen (Denmark).
The company said: "Members are preparing for new activities suitable for each person's personal situation and schedule.
