The K-pop group NewJeans has lost its legal battle against its agency, ADOR, over an exclusive contract dispute. The court ruled in favor of ADOR.
On the morning of the 30th, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Agreement Division 41, presided over by Judge Jeong Hoe-il, delivered the verdict on the lawsuit filed by ADOR to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract with the five members of NewJeans. The court stated, "It is difficult to see ADOR's actions as a breach of contract solely due to the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin," and found no breach of contract by ADOR. The court also criticized Min Hee-jin, stating, "She engaged in a public campaign for NewJeans' independence, which was not aimed at protecting the group."
The lawsuit began when NewJeans claimed since last year that ADOR had breached the exclusive contract, rendering it void, and announced plans for independent activities. In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit in December last year to confirm the contract's validity and requested an injunction to prohibit the members from engaging in independent activities until the final verdict.
The court sided with ADOR, and NewJeans' objections and appeals were dismissed. As a result, the members were unable to pursue independent activities without ADOR's approval until the final verdict.
Additionally, in May, the court accepted ADOR's request for indirect enforcement, ordering NewJeans to pay 1 billion KRW per member for each violation if they engaged in independent activities.
Reporter Ji-ye Choi, TenAsia wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr