NewJeans Loses Lawsuit Against ADOR — Court Rules “Exclusive Contract Remains Valid”
Girl group NewJeans, currently embroiled in a legal dispute with their agency ADOR, has lost the lawsuit over the validity of their exclusive contract.
On the 30th, the Civil Division 41 of the Seoul Central District Court (presiding judge Jung Hoe-il) held a ruling session for the lawsuit filed by ADOR to confirm the validity of its exclusive contracts with the five members of NewJeans. The court sided with ADOR, declaring, “The exclusive contracts are valid. The defendants shall bear the litigation costs.”
In November 2024, NewJeans announced the termination of their contracts, citing ADOR’s alleged failure to fulfill its obligations. In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit in December 2024, claiming that NewJeans had unilaterally declared contract termination, and sought judicial confirmation that the contracts remain in force.
ADOR argued that the exclusive contracts are still valid, while NewJeans countered that they had lost trust in the agency following the resignation of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and other key staff members.
written by Yoon Sang Geun
Translated by Lee So Yun
