A Seoul court has sided with ADOR in the label’s suit to confirm the validity of its exclusive contract with NewJeans, ruling that the company did not breach the agreement simply by removing former CEO Min Hee-jin.
In a decision announced at 9:50 a.m. KST on Dec. 30, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 41, presided over by Judge Jeong Hoe-il, said the ouster of Min alone doesn’t amount to a contractual violation by ADOR. The court also noted that Min’s public campaign was aimed at securing NewJeans’ independence rather than protecting the group under the existing agreement, according to the ruling’s rationale.
The dispute dates back to last November, when NewJeans notified ADOR it was terminating their deal, alleging the company had failed to meet its obligations, and moved to pursue independent activities. The group argued that both HYBE and ADOR breached the contract, eroding trust, and claimed leadership changes at ADOR―particularly Min’s removal―made continued cooperation untenable. ADOR countered that the contract remained in force and, in December, filed suit seeking confirmation of its validity.
ADOR also requested an injunction barring NewJeans from independent activities pending the outcome. The court granted that injunction, prohibiting solo moves and ordering an indirect compulsory payment of 1 billion won per member, per activity if they proceeded without ADOR’s consent―effectively putting a full stop to the group’s unilateral plans.
The court encouraged mediation between the parties in August and September, but with neither side narrowing its stance, the case proceeded to today’s ruling on the merits.
This decision marks a pivotal turn in the long-running contract battle between NewJeans and ADOR and could shape both the group’s next steps and the label’s operations going forward.
Photo: Baik Seung-Chul
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)