The legal battle between K-pop group NewJeans and their agency ADOR continues to heat up.
On the morning of June 5th, the Seoul Central District Court held the second hearing in ADOR’s lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of its exclusive contract with NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein.
During the session, NewJeans’ legal team criticized ADOR for failing to fulfill key management responsibilities. They argued, “ADOR has not met its obligations under the management agreement,” while ADOR countered, saying, “The reasons NewJeans is giving for terminating the contract keep changing. It looks like they’re trying to end the contract at all costs and are now scrambling to justify it after the fact.”
NewJeans’ side further claimed that the evidence submitted by ADOR lacks substance. “When you actually look at what they provided, it’s pretty weak. Fulfilling management duties isn’t just about making a list of potential producers. That’s not what this contract was based on. If they met with someone like producer Hitchhiker, we need to know exactly what was discussed and what came out of it,” they argued.
This follows a tense first hearing on June 4th, where both sides strongly disagreed. ADOR insisted, “We didn’t force Min Hee Jin out—she left on her own. And the members successfully prepared and completed their Hong Kong concert without her help. That contradicts the claim that only she could lead NewJeans.”
However, NewJeans’ representatives stated, “The trust between us and ADOR is broken beyond repair. With the entire management team replaced, this is no longer the same company in any real sense. Without Min Hee Jin, ADOR operates with completely different values. We cannot continue under this contract with the current leadership.”
Last month, the court issued a ruling on a separate injunction filed by ADOR to block NewJeans from independent activities or signing advertising deals without approval. The court stated that the group must not engage in any entertainment activities without ADOR’s prior consent until a final ruling is made in the contract case.
The ruling also includes a heavy penalty: if the group violates this order, they must pay 1 billion won ($750,000) per incident. That means if all five members act independently, they could face up to 50 billion won ($37.5 million) in penalties.
>> Court Orders NewJeans Members to Pay $730,000 Each If They Promote Without ADOR’s Permission
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