ADOR Files Lawsuit to Confirm Exclusive Contract Validity “Committed to Staying with NewJeans”
On the afternoon of December 5, ADOR announced, “On December 3, we filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court to confirm the validity of our exclusive contract with our artist NewJeans.”
ADOR added, “We did not wish for issues with our artist to be resolved through legal proceedings. However, we deemed it necessary to clarify, not only for the artist but also for other stakeholders, that an exclusive contract cannot be lightly terminated based on unilateral claims. This decision was made to protect the foundation of trust that has supported the growth of the K-pop industry and the broader Korean pop culture sector, which has thrived on healthy artist-agency relationships. We seek a clear ruling from the court to uphold this principle.”
Previously, on November 28, NewJeans (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, Hyein) held an emergency press conference at SpaceShare Samseong Station Center in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul regarding the termination of their exclusive contract. At the conference, NewJeans declared that they would be ending their contract with ADOR the following day, November 29.
Regarding this, ADOR stated, “It is with a heavy heart that we share this news. However, to prevent misunderstandings where the artists believe their contract was legally terminated and thus engage in activities that violate the terms of the existing agreement, which could cause unforeseen harm and confusion among industry stakeholders, we felt compelled to act.”
According to ADOR, their commitment to staying with NewJeans remains unchanged. The agency expressed, “While we seek judicial confirmation regarding the validity of the contract, we believe that sincere and open dialogue with the artists is essential. Despite numerous earnest requests from ADOR executives and staff members, we have yet to secure an opportunity to communicate with NewJeans. Nevertheless, we will continue to work tirelessly to resolve any misunderstandings between the artist and the company. We are determined to repay the love and support for NewJeans’ music with even greater activities. We ask for your support and encouragement so that both ADOR and NewJeans members can navigate this situation wisely and overcome it together.“
Source: Nate
