MUSIC
Court to Rule on Exclusive Contract Dispute Between NewJeans and ADOR
On the morning of the 30th, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Agreement Division 41, presided over by Judge Jeong Hoe-il, will announce its decision on the lawsuit filed by ADOR to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract with the five members of NewJeans. Although the civil lawsuit does not require the parties to be present, all five members of NewJeans attended the provisional injunction hearing in March, and Minji and Danielle appeared at the first mediation session in August. It remains to be seen if NewJeans will make an appearance at the verdict.
The court previously attempted mediation twice in August and September, but both parties failed to reach an agreement, leading to today's final ruling.
The lawsuit originated from NewJeans' claim that ADOR had violated the exclusive contract, which they argued was already terminated, signaling their intent to pursue independent activities. In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit in December of last year to confirm the contract's validity and requested an injunction to prevent the members from engaging in independent activities until the final ruling.
The court sided with ADOR, and NewJeans' subsequent objections and appeals were dismissed. As a result, the members were prohibited from pursuing independent activities without ADOR's approval until the final ruling.
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.
The main trial focused on the validity of the exclusive contract and the existence of grounds for termination. ADOR argued that the contract remains valid and that they have diligently supported the artists, while NewJeans contended that the trust relationship was irreparably damaged following the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin.
Choi Ji-ye, TenAsia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr
