The contract dispute between NewJeans and their agency stems from the conflict that began in April last year between HYBE and ADOR’s then CEO Min Hee-jin.
Since November 29, 2024, NewJeans members have claimed that their exclusive contracts with ADOR were terminated due to the agency’s failure to fulfill its obligations. In January 2025, the parents of NewJeans created a social media account to directly voice their stance in support of the members.
However, during the first hearing of the “exclusive contract validity confirmation” lawsuit held on April 3 at the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Agreement Division 41, the presiding judge addressed NewJeans’ side “Regarding Defendant 4” and asked, “Are you stating that the decision from the family court concerning parental authority has ratified all litigation actions to date?”
Currently, two NewJeans members, Hyein and Haerin, are minors. This statement suggests that one of these members’ parents had differing views on whether to pursue the lawsuit to terminate the contract, and that a trial was even held at the family court to resolve this issue.
This is not the first mention of such discord. During a provisional injunction hearing on March 7 at the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Agreement Division 50, the court also raised the issue of legal representation. The judge stated, “We need to clarify the representation issue. Currently, there is a defect in the authority to litigate.”
Because the legal guardians of minors must act jointly, a “defect in representation” indicates disagreement between the parents over terminating the exclusive contract, thus requiring resolution.
At the time, a lawyer from Shin & Kim LLC, representing NewJeans, responded, “There was a family court hearing yesterday, and we expect a decision by next week. Once we receive the result, we will submit it, and we don’t foresee any particular issues.”
Still, the court emphasized, “According to civil procedure law, such defects must be corrected, and as of now, that has not been done.” This confirms that there was indeed disagreement between the parents of at least one minor member, preventing them from jointly exercising parental rights regarding the contract termination.
However, based on the court’s statement on April 3 “A decision has been made regarding parental authority, and all litigation actions have been ratified accordingly” it can be inferred that the authority of the opposing parent has been limited, and the lawsuit is proceeding under the direction of the parent in favor.
Until now, NewJeans’ parents had maintained a united front via social media, claiming ADOR had failed its contractual obligations and no longer had the right to manage or interfere with the group’s activities.
However, after the court sided entirely with ADOR in a provisional injunction ruling on March 21 and now with signs of internal disagreement among the parents, some observers predict that the dispute may be entering a new phase.