NewJeans member Daniel has become embroiled in controversy over the termination of his exclusive contract with HYBE. After recently losing a lawsuit to confirm the validity of his exclusive contract, and despite the entire group expressing their intention to return by abandoning their appeals, HYBE is showing signs of taking contract termination measures targeting only Daniel.

According to reporting by Maeil Shinmun on the 28th, HYBE has decided to terminate its exclusive contract with Daniel. The reason cited is a violation of exclusive contract terms, and an industry insider stated, "While HYBE is preparing an official announcement regarding the return of Hanni and Minji, contract termination measures are expected to be taken against Daniel." As a result, Daniel is uniquely targeted for contract termination, unlike the other NewJeans members.

HYBE's decision to attempt contract termination specifically against Daniel has drawn criticism within the industry as "retaliatory contract termination." Terminating a contract due to violations of exclusive contract terms implies that all NewJeans members could be subject to termination, but HYBE is singling out only Daniel.

Legal experts suggest that HYBE's retaliatory action could be a legal weakness. After winning the exclusive contract validity confirmation lawsuit against the five NewJeans members on October 30, HYBE had promised the resumption of NewJeans' activities. At that time, HYBE stated, "All preparations for activities, including the release of NewJeans' full-length album, have been completed," and pledged to do their best to return to fans through discussions with the artists.

If HYBE's authority to maintain or terminate contracts is perceived as a tool for attack rather than artist protection, it could seriously damage the trust between HYBE and NewJeans. One attorney pointed out, "In 2024, the Supreme Court recognized 'breakdown of trust' due to opaque profit settlements as a legitimate reason for contract termination in the 'LOONA Chuu' case," adding, "HYBE's actions, claiming trust was broken only with a specific individual, are legally contradictory."

Another legal expert stated, "HYBE's selective measures are likely to serve as unfavorable evidence against HYBE when the court determines responsibility for the breakdown of trust."

HYBE has not issued an official statement regarding this matter, and HYBE Vice President Park Tae-hee said, "We cannot confirm facts until an official statement is released." This situation is expected to have a significant impact on NewJeans' future activities.

Currently, the conflict between Daniel and HYBE is acting as a factor that could seriously affect the group's future direction and relationships among members. As HYBE proceeds with the contract termination process with Daniel, the resumption of NewJeans' activities and the restoration of harmonious relationships within the group may become more difficult.

Daniel's contract termination issue is not simply a personal matter but could lead to important discussions about NewJeans' overall future activities and HYBE's artist management policies. HYBE must promptly clarify its position on how it plans to resolve this issue.