NewJeans have officially lost their legal battle to terminate their contract with ADOR.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of ADOR on October 30th, confirming that the group’s exclusive contracts remain valid.
This verdict means the five members are legally bound to ADOR until their original contract expires on July 31st, 2029. However, the duration could be extended by up to one additional year to account for the period of halted activities during the lawsuit.
The Court’s Ruling
The court found that ADOR had not breached its contract with the group. The judge stated that the agency’s firing of former CEO Min Hee Jin “does not constitute grounds to view ADOR as having violated the exclusive contract.”
The court also criticized Min Hee Jin, noting that she “waged a public opinion campaign for NewJeans’ independence,” but that it “was not for the purpose of protecting NewJeans.”
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The Dispute
The lawsuit began last year when the members of NewJeans claimed that their contract had been terminated due to ADOR’s alleged breach and announced plans to pursue independent activities.
In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit in December 2024 to confirm the validity of the contracts. The agency also obtained a court injunction preventing NewJeans from engaging in any independent activities while the case was ongoing. The group’s appeal of this injunction was dismissed.
Penalties and Failed Mediation
The court approved ADOR’s request in May, stipulating that if any NewJeans member violated the injunction by engaging in independent activities, the member would be required to pay 1 billion won ($730,000) per violation.
The court tried to mediate between both sides in August and September, but neither attempt succeeded, resulting in today’s final verdict.
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