A second and final attempt at a settlement between NewJeans and their agency failed today after just 18 minutes. Their contract dispute will now be decided by a judge on October 30th.
Unlike the first mediation hearing last month, which members Minji and Danielle attended in person, only the legal representatives for each side were present for today’s brief session.
The legal battle began in December of last year when ADOR filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the group’s exclusive contracts, stating that they wanted NewJeans to return to the agency. However, the NewJeans members say their trust in the agency was irreparably broken after the departure of their mentor, former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin, and other key staff who had managed them.
The upcoming verdict is crucial for the group’s future, as earlier court decisions in related cases have largely sided with the agency. In June, a court issued an injunction preventing NewJeans from engaging in any “independent activities” without ADOR’s approval.
Furthermore, the court imposed a hefty financial penalty for any potential violations of this injunction: each member must pay ADOR 1 billion won ($740,000 USD) for every independent activity they attempt before the final ruling. With a settlement now off the table, the future of one of K-pop’s most successful groups rests on the court’s decision next month.
Meanwhile, in a separate legal battle, Min Hee Jin appeared in person for the first face-to-face hearing in the 26 billion won ($19.5 million) “put option” lawsuit against HYBE.
>> Haerin of NewJeans Captured in Rare Public Sighting Amid Group’s Hiatus
