[Exclusive]"Pay Ador 1 billion in damages"... NewJeans music video production company's second trial begins in July

*This content was translated by AI.

The second trial in the damages lawsuit between advertising production company Dolphin Kidnappers, which produced NewJeans' music videos, and NewJeans' agency Ador will resume in July.

The Seoul High Court's 5th Civil Division (Da) will hold the first argument of the appeal trial in the 100th million won damages lawsuit filed by Ador against director Shin Woo-seok and Dolphin Kidnappers on July 9.

Previously, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Deliberation Division 62 (Presiding Judge Lee Hyun-seok) ruled on the 1st that "Dolphin Kidnappers must pay Ador 1 billion won plus delayed interest" and "the amount is subject to provisional enforcement." Additionally, the claim for damages against director Shin Woo-seok personally was dismissed.

As a result, the case was transferred to the second instance due to appeals from both sides, and Dolphin Kidnappers has also filed a request to suspend enforcement. Provisional enforcement is a system that allows the winning party to execute the judgment content in advance even before the judgment becomes final. It aims to expedite the realization of the winning party's rights while preventing the losing party from appealing solely to delay enforcement. In judgments ordering monetary payment, such a provisional enforcement declaration is typically added. Accordingly, the plaintiff who received the judgment may initiate provisional enforcement procedures for the damages at any time.

However, to prevent enforcement, the losing party may file a request to suspend enforcement. Courts often issue decisions to suspend enforcement upon providing security, unless there are special circumstances. This may involve depositing a certain amount of cash or submitting a guarantee insurance certificate.

This dispute began in August 2025 when Dolphin Kidnappers posted the director's cut of NewJeans' "ETA" music video on a YouTube channel. When Ador requested the removal of the video, director Shin Woo-seok posted NewJeans-related videos on another unofficial fan channel, "Ban Hee-su Channel," and deleted them, escalating the conflict.

Ador countered, stating, "We only requested the cessation of posting the 'ETA' director's cut video and never requested the deletion or upload suspension of all videos related to NewJeans, including the Ban Hee-su Channel. Director Shin is spreading false information."

In response, Shin Woo-seok filed a criminal complaint against Ador, claiming his reputation was damaged by Ador's statement. Ador filed a damages lawsuit based on its ownership of the video.

During the trial process, former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin also appeared as a witness, stating that "prior verbal consent was given to separately post the 'ETA' music video director's cut," and sided with Dolphin Kidnappers, but the court ultimately ruled in favor of Ador.

Meanwhile, NewJeans declared the termination of their contract with Ador in November 2024, citing Ador's breach of obligations. After legal proceedings, the court ruled in favor of Ador in the lawsuit filed by Ador to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract. Among the five members, Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni have returned to Ador, while Minji is continuing discussions with Ador to return. Daniel has received a notice of expulsion from Ador.

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*This content was translated by AI.