Court Orders NewJeans to Pay ₩1 Billion KRW Per Violation in Landmark Contract Dispute Ruling
According to legal sources on June 8, the Civil Division 52 (Presiding Judge Heo Kyung-moo) issued the ruling on May 29 in response to an ongoing dispute between NewJeans members and their agency. The decision comes after some members reportedly attempted to carry out independent activities under the name “NJZ,” despite an existing injunction order prohibiting such moves.
The court stated:
“The parties have violated their contractual obligations even after the injunction ruling, and appear likely to continue doing so. Therefore, an indirect enforcement order is necessary to ensure compliance.”
This fine, ₩1 billion KRW (approx. $737,000 USD) per violation, is among the highest penalties ever imposed in a K-pop contractual case. Legal experts interpret it as a strong warning by the judiciary to deter entertainers from defying court orders and agency agreements.
For context, during the 2011 legal battle between JYJ and SM Entertainment, the court had ruled that SM would owe ₩20 million KRW (approx. $14,800 USD) per instance if they obstructed JYJ’s entertainment activities, a far lower figure compared to the NewJeans case.
In this dispute, ADOR, the agency representing NewJeans, initially requested ₩2 billion KRW (approx. $1.48 million USD) per violation, but the court settled on ₩1 billion KRW, signaling a partial acceptance of the agency’s claims while maintaining judicial discretion.
This landmark decision not only escalates the ongoing tensions within NewJeans’ management conflict but also sets a new legal precedent for how serious breaches of idol contracts are penalized. As the case continues to unfold, the industry will be watching closely for its broader implications on artist-agency dynamics in K-pop.
