Court Rules in Favor of ADOR in Contract Dispute with NewJeans

In a recent legal battle between the K-pop group NewJeans and their agency ADOR, the court has ruled that ADOR did not breach the exclusive contract with the group.

On the morning of the 30th, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Agreement Division 41, led by Judge Jeong Hoe-il, delivered its verdict on the lawsuit filed by ADOR against the five members of NewJeans. The court stated, "It is difficult to conclude that ADOR violated the exclusive contract solely due to the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin."

The court had previously attempted mediation between the two parties in August and September, but no agreement was reached, leading to the final ruling.

The lawsuit originated from NewJeans' claim that ADOR had breached the contract, which they argued was already terminated, and their intention to pursue independent activities. In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit in December of last year to confirm the validity of the contract and requested an injunction to prevent the members from engaging in independent activities until a final ruling was made.

The court sided with ADOR, and NewJeans' appeals and objections were dismissed, prohibiting the group 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 issues in the trial were the validity of the exclusive contract and the existence of grounds for termination. ADOR argued that the contract remained valid and that they had diligently supported the artists, while NewJeans contended that the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin had irreparably damaged their trust relationship.

Choi Ji-ye, TenAsia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr