Court rules in favour of ADOR in NewJeans lawsuit
On October 30, the 41st Civil Agreement Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Jeong Hoe‑il) ruled in favour of ADOR in the lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of its exclusive contracts with the five-member group NewJeans, as per KoreaJoongang Daily.
The court declared, “It is confirmed that the exclusive contract concluded between ADOR and NewJeans is valid.”
The ruling also stated that “It is difficult to see that ADOR violated the exclusive contract simply by dismissing former CEO Min Hee‑jin,” and added that “Min Hee-jin waged a public opinion war not for the purpose of protecting NewJeans, but for the purpose of NewJeans’ independence.”
Additionally, the court held that the five NewJeans members must bear the legal costs of the litigation.
NewJeans respond to court ruling, announce plans to appeal ADOR contract verdict
Following the Seoul Central District Court’s ruling in favour of ADOR, NewJeans issued a formal statement through their legal representative, Sejong LLC. The statement read, “Hello, this is Sejong LLC, the legal representative of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. Today, the Seoul Central District Court delivered its first-instance ruling in the lawsuit filed by ADOR Co., Ltd. (hereinafter ‘ADOR’) against the members, confirming the validity of the exclusive contracts.”
( Image credit : X/@NJZbase )
It continued, “While the members respect the court’s decision, they maintain that, given the complete breakdown of trust with ADOR, it is impossible for them to return to the company and continue normal entertainment activities.” Sejong LLC further confirmed that the group plans to “immediately appeal the first-instance judgement”, hoping the appellate court will “comprehensively review the facts and legal principles surrounding the termination of the exclusive contracts to reach a wise decision”.
The statement concluded with a message to fans: “Lastly, the members would like to express their sincere gratitude to the fans who have waited patiently and offered their unwavering support for so long.”
When did NewJeans and Ador’s legal battle begin?
NewJeans shocked the K-pop world in November last year when they said they announced they were leaving Ador, alleging they can no longer trust their agency. The group pointed to the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee Jin as the breaking point and asked to terminate their exclusive contracts, saying the relationship had completely fallen apart.
( Image credit : X/.@chartmaster | NewJeans’ fallout with ADOR began after former CEO Min Hee-jin’s dismissal )
ADOR didn’t stay silent for long. In December, the label took the issue to court, filing a lawsuit to confirm that the contracts were still legally valid. The agency argued that it had always “faithfully supported” the group and their activities.
At the same time, ADOR also sought an injunction to stop NewJeans from pursuing any independent activities, like signing new deals or working outside the company, until the main case was settled. The court sided with ADOR on that request, effectively putting the group’s independent plans on hold while the legal battle continued.
More about NewJeans
( Image credit : X/Ador | NewJeans skyrocketed to fame with hits like Attention, Hype Boy, and Super Shy )
NewJeans had one of the most successful K-pop debuts in July 2022 with the hit single Attention. The group quickly rose to global fame with songs like Hype Boy, Ditto, OMG, and Super Shy, known for their refreshing Y2K-inspired style and minimalist pop sound. Their music has topped charts worldwide, earning them a reputation as one of K-pop’s most influential next-generation acts.