“NewJeans’ Claims, All Dismissed”… Court Ruling Bans Independent Activities, Shifting Public Opinion
On March 21, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 50 (Presiding Judge Kim Sang-hoon) ruled in favor of ADOR’s injunction request against the five NewJeans members (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein) to maintain the agency’s status and prohibit them from signing independent advertising contracts.
Previously, in January, ADOR filed an injunction to prevent the members from independently signing advertising contracts. Later, ADOR expanded the scope of the injunction to ban not only advertising deals but also all entertainment activities, including songwriting, composing, singing, and other music-related work.
NewJeans members personally appeared in court on March 7 for the injunction hearing, where both sides fiercely debated the validity of the exclusive contract termination for over two hours. ADOR argued that the grounds for contract termination claimed by the members did not exist, while NewJeans countered that ADOR had failed to fulfill its contractual obligations.
Court Rules in Favor of ADOR, Rejects All of NewJeans’ Claims
The court ultimately sided with ADOR, ruling that there were no valid grounds for contract termination and granting ADOR’s request to ban NewJeans from engaging in independent activities.
Notably, the court dismissed all 11 reasons cited by NewJeans for terminating their contract. The ruling stated, “Based solely on the arguments and evidence submitted by the defendants (NewJeans members), it is difficult to conclude that the plaintiff (ADOR) violated significant contractual obligations or that the trust between the parties has been irreparably damaged.”
Following the ruling, ADOR and NewJeans had contrasting reactions. ADOR immediately released a statement expressing gratitude for the court’s decision, saying, “We deeply appreciate the court’s wise judgment. Now that ADOR’s legal status as NewJeans’ agency has been reaffirmed, we will take full responsibility for supporting our artists. This weekend’s ComplexCon performance will proceed under the name of ADOR’s NewJeans, with full on-site support.”
ADOR further stated, “We sincerely hope to meet with the artists soon for an honest discussion. We kindly ask for warm support and encouragement for NewJeans as they continue to grow with ADOR.”
NewJeans Rejects ADOR’s Outreach, Vows to Continue Legal Battle
However, NewJeans firmly rejected ADOR’s call for reconciliation. Through social media, the members stated, “We respect the court’s decision. However, this ruling does not fully take into account the complete breakdown of trust between the members and ADOR.”
They added, “We will challenge today’s injunction decision through an appeal and present additional evidence to support our claims.”
NewJeans also emphasized that their main lawsuit to confirm the termination of their exclusive contract is still ongoing. “At the hearing scheduled for April 3, we will once again prove that the contract has been legally terminated,” they stated.
Public Opinion Shifts Against NewJeans
As NewJeans refuses to accept the injunction ruling and shifts its focus to the main lawsuit, public sentiment appears to be changing. Initially, many netizens supported the group’s pursuit of independence. However, after the court dismissed all 11 of their claims, some now believe that NewJeans should reconsider and reconcile with ADOR.
Additionally, some observers question whether NewJeans will have any chance of winning the main lawsuit, given that none of their 11 claims were accepted in the injunction ruling. Concerns are also growing about the group’s future activities.
Meanwhile, NewJeans has decided to proceed with their scheduled performance at ComplexCon in Hong Kong on the 23rd. The members explained, “We made this difficult decision to prevent any harm to our fans and the event’s stakeholders.” ADOR reaffirmed, “The performance will proceed under the name of ADOR’s NewJeans, with full support from the agency on-site.”