NewJeans’ Hyein at the center of family dispute amid ADOR lawsuit; mother granted sole custody

As the legal feud between girl group NewJeans and their agency ADOR continues to escalate, new reports have shed light on an unexpected internal struggle involving Hyein and her family. According to New Daily, it was Hyein’s father—not Haerin’s parent as previously speculated—who opposed the group’s lawsuit to terminate their exclusive contracts with ADOR, prompting a custody battle in family court.

Earlier speculation had pointed fingers at Haerin, after court documents referred to “Defendant 4” with the surname Kang, which matches Haerin’s last name. But New Daily clarified that the parent opposing the legal proceedings was in fact Hyein’s father. Since Hyein and Haerin are both minors, they require legal guardians to represent them in court. The conflicting stance between Hyein’s parents triggered a legal guardianship case, raising the question of who held the authority to act on her behalf.

The issue came to light during hearings in March and April, when the Seoul Central District Court acknowledged a “defect in the right of litigation representation.” On March 7, the judge raised concerns about a parent’s resistance obstructing court progress, and by April 3, the court asked whether the Family Court had resolved the matter of legal custody.

Also Read: Hyeri announces first ever solo Asia fanmeeting tour Welcome to HYERI’s STUDIO - check out the full schedule