Image : NewJeans ⓒ Lee Hye-young (lhy@hankooki.com)
The long-running legal battle between NewJeans (뉴진스) and their agency ADOR (어도어) reaches a critical turning point today, as the Seoul Central District Court is set to deliver its first verdict in the exclusive contract dispute.
On October 30 at 9:50 a.m. KST, the Civil Agreement Division 41 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Jeong Hoe-il, will announce the ruling on ADOR’s lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of its exclusive contracts with all five NewJeans members.
The legal dispute began in November of last year when NewJeans held an emergency press conference, accusing ADOR of breaching their contract. The group declared their intention to terminate the exclusive deal and announced plans to pursue independent activities under a new name, NJZ (엔제이지).
In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit in December asserting that the exclusive contract remains legally binding. They also filed for an injunction to prevent the members from engaging in any solo activities or commercial deals without the agency’s approval.
In March, the court granted ADOR’s injunction. The judge ruled that until a final verdict is reached, ADOR retains the official status of the group’s management company, effectively halting NewJeans’ independent activities. Appeals and objections by the NewJeans side were all dismissed. The court also approved ADOR’s request for indirect compulsory enforcement, meaning any violation by a member engaging in unauthorized activity would result in a penalty of 1 billion KRW (approximately $730,000 USD) per incident. Following this, NewJeans suspended all activities.
Despite multiple mediation attempts in August and September, both parties failed to reach an agreement. NewJeans maintained that the relationship with ADOR was irreparably damaged and that continuing the contract was impossible, while ADOR countered that there were no valid grounds for termination.
Amid the legal standoff, it was revealed that former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin (민희진) had established a new agency named OK, leading to increased speculation about NewJeans’ potential move.
As the court delivers its long-awaited verdict today, all eyes are on the ruling that could reshape the future of NewJeans and determine the outcome of nearly a year-long conflict between the K-pop sensation and their former label.
