On June 11, the Seoul Western District Court’s Criminal Division 9 (Judge Kim Min-jung) held a final hearing for Mr. A, who is charged with trespassing and theft. The prosecution sought a 10-month prison sentence for Mr. A. During the hearing, Mr. A admitted to all charges. In his final statement, he pleaded, “Please give me a chance to achieve my dream of becoming a civil servant. I will live well while caring for my ill mother.”
Mr. A’s defense attorney emphasized that he is a first-time offender, cooperated fully with the investigation, and deeply regrets his actions, repeatedly requesting leniency.
Mr. A is accused of illegally entering NewJeans’ dorm in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, twice in December 2024 and stealing items. The incidents occurred after NewJeans terminated their contract with ADOR in November 2024 and vacated the dorm. Mr. A allegedly stole miscellaneous items such as clothes hangers and placards during his unauthorized entries.
In August 2024, controversy arose when posts on various online communities mentioned the name and layout of NewJeans’ dorm, threatening acts of terrorism. However, it has not been confirmed whether Mr. A was responsible for those posts.
NewJeans held an emergency press conference in November 2024 to announce the termination of their contract with ADOR and their intent to pursue independent activities. However, ADOR filed for an injunction to prohibit NewJeans from engaging in independent activities and signing advertising contracts, which the court granted. The court ruled that NewJeans’ actions, such as performing and releasing new songs under a new group name, violated the injunction, ordering them to pay 1 billion KRW per violation to ADOR.
NewJeans had been operating an SNS account under the name NJZ but deleted it following the court’s ruling, creating a new account using a combination of the members’ initials. The members have since limited their activities, communicating with fans only through updates on their status.
