The contract dispute between NewJeans and their label ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE, is set to have its first court hearing on April 3rd, according to legal sources.
The Seoul Central District Court will begin proceedings in ADOR’s lawsuit seeking validation of their exclusive contract with NewJeans members, following escalating tensions since November 2024 over contract termination disagreements.
The conflict became public when NewJeans held an emergency press conference on November 28th, announcing their intention to terminate their contract with ADOR. The members claimed, “ADOR has neither the will nor the ability to protect NewJeans,” citing contract violations by both HYBE and ADOR as grounds for termination.
However, ADOR has maintained the contract’s validity, countering that “ADOR, as the contracting party, has not violated the contract, and a unilateral claim of broken trust cannot constitute grounds for termination.” Following this dispute, the members began operating independently under their individual names—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—prompting ADOR to file a lawsuit in December 2023 to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract.
ADOR explained their legal action stating, “While we did not wish for issues with our artists to be resolved through legal judgment, we made this unavoidable decision believing it necessary to confirm to both artists and various stakeholders that an exclusive contract between a company and artist cannot be terminated based on one party’s claims alone.”
In response, NewJeans has retained law firm Shin & Kim as legal representation to counter ADOR’s lawsuit, setting the stage for a significant legal battle in the K-pop industry.
Source (1)
