In the first trial ruling over the exclusive contract dispute between NewJeans and their label ADOR, the court stated that ADOR’s dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin alone could not be considered a violation of its contract with the group.
On the morning of October 30, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 41, presided over by Judge Jung Hoe-il, held the verdict hearing for ADOR’s lawsuit against the five NewJeans members seeking confirmation of the validity of their exclusive contracts.
The court explained, “It is difficult to conclude that ADOR violated the exclusive contract merely by dismissing former CEO Min Hee-jin,” adding that “Min Hee-jin’s public campaign for NewJeans’ independence cannot be viewed as an act done to protect the group.“
During earlier hearings, ADOR argued that HYBE had invested ₩21 billion (approximately $15 million) in developing NewJeans including ₩7 billion for their debut album and ₩2 billion for music videos and emphasized that the group’s unilateral termination of the contract was “clearly against the agreement.” The agency claimed, “The essence of this issue is shifting the risk of failure onto the company while monopolizing the rewards of success. This undermines the foundation of the K-pop industry.“
Conversely, NewJeans’ representatives maintained that the dispute began after HYBE launched an internal audit targeting Min Hee-jin. They asserted that ADOR’s failure to protect the group during the controversy broke the trust between the artists and their agency.
The ruling clarifies that Min Hee-jin’s dismissal does not amount to a contractual breach by ADOR, effectively reinforcing the court’s earlier decision that upheld the validity of the group’s exclusive contracts with the label.
Sources: Daum
Related Articles