Legal Battle Begins: ADOR vs. NewJeans Over Contract Dispute

The legal dispute between ADOR and the K-pop group NewJeans has officially commenced.

On the morning of the 7th, the 50th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court will hold the first hearing regarding ADOR's injunction against NewJeans members. The injunction seeks to preserve ADOR's status as the group's agency and to prohibit the signing of advertising contracts.

Last November, NewJeans announced in an emergency press conference that they had terminated their exclusive contract with ADOR and have since pursued independent activities. After fulfilling their existing commitments with ADOR, the group revealed their new name, NJZ, last month and began conducting interviews. They have also scheduled international appearances, including at Hong Kong's ComplexCon. Additionally, individuals claiming to be the parents of the ten members have established communication channels via social media.

On the eve of the injunction hearing, a public exchange of words occurred between NewJeans and ADOR. NewJeans argued that ADOR's injunction to prohibit their activities infringes on their "freedom of occupation," while ADOR countered that their intention is to continue entertainment activities "in compliance with the contract."

NewJeans stated, "ADOR claims to only target NJZ's advertising activities to prevent confusion among fans and advertisers. However, they are actually seeking a court order to ban all of NJZ's entertainment activities, which is an attempt to infringe on NJZ's freedom of occupation and avoid public criticism by not disclosing this intention."

In response, ADOR clarified, "As the 'injunction to preserve agency status and prohibit advertising contracts' is ongoing, NewJeans has expanded their activities with new song releases and major overseas performances, prompting us to extend the scope of the injunction. This is not to restrict activities but to encourage entertainment activities 'together with ADOR' and 'in compliance with the contract.' We have not pressured event organizers nor expanded the injunction scope as a retaliatory measure."

Both parties are determined to have their claims validated by the court.

Reported by Jiye Choi, TenAsia wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr