NewJeans Lose Contract Case as Seoul Court Rules in Favor of HYBE’s ADOR

NewJeans has lost its contract dispute with label ADOR, as the Seoul Central District Court ruled that the group remains legally bound to its exclusive agreement with the HYBE subsidiary.

The ruling, reported Thursday (Oct. 30), rejects NewJeans’ claims that ADOR violated contractual obligations when former CEO Min Hee-jin was removed from her position in August 2024. The court determined that Min’s dismissal did not constitute a breach of the group’s April 2022 exclusive contract.

NewJeans had argued that Min’s departure created a “management vacuum” and eroded the trust necessary to continue the relationship. The court disagreed, stating, “The fact that Min was removed from her position as CEO does not in itself mean that a managerial vacuum was created or that ADOR became incapable of fulfilling its contractual obligations.”

The court added that the artists’ personal trust in Min did not make her continued leadership a binding condition of the agreement.

Attempted Rebrand Blocked

NewJeans had declared their contract terminated in November 2024 and attempted to continue activities under the new name NJZ. Previously, the court granted ADOR an injunction preventing the group from performing independently. Multiple appeals have since been dismissed.

In this latest ruling, the court also approved indirect compulsory execution—meaning each member would owe ADOR ₩1 billion KRW (~$699,000 USD) per violation should they engage in entertainment activities without the label’s approval.

NewJeans has remained inactive throughout the legal proceedings.

Other Claims Also Rejected

The court dismissed NewJeans’ additional arguments, including:

• Leaked trainee videos

• Alleged inappropriate comments toward member Hanni

• Min’s public campaign criticizing HYBE and ADOR

The ruling stated there was insufficient evidence these incidents constituted contract breaches, and further noted that Min’s actions were not proven to be directly in the group’s best interest.

ADOR Responds, Signals NewJeans Comeback Plans

In a statement, ADOR said:

“The court reaffirmed that the exclusive contract remains valid, and that ADOR did not violate its duties as a management agency… We express our deep gratitude for the court’s decision.”

The label added that preparations for NewJeans’ next studio album have already been completed:

“We will do our utmost to return to the fans through discussions with the artist.”

NewJeans’ Position

In earlier filings, the group compared returning to ADOR to “telling a school bullying victim to return to the same school and endure it.” However, their legal team has stated that the members are still open to reconciliation if certain conditions are met.