[All] [2025 Latest] New Jeans Loses Case? Why Did the Court Rule in ADOR's Hand? The Truth About the Exclusive Contract

NewJeans, a representative K-pop girl group, lost their legal battle with their agency ADOR. The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the exclusive contract remains valid. The ruling also highlighted former CEO Min Hee-jin's "public opinion battle" and her relationship with HYBE. We'll provide a comprehensive explanation of the ruling and its future direction.

 

 

table of contents 1. History of the contract dispute between New Jeans and ADOR 2. Main points of contention in the trial 3. Court decision: Background to the finding that there was no reason to terminate the contract 4. What is former Chairman Min Hee-jin's "public opinion war" plan? 5. Why does a breakdown in trust not result in contract termination? 6. Comments from both parties after the ruling and future prospects 7. Entertainment Industry Controversy and Expert Opinions 8. Q&A: Questions fans are curious about 9. Summary: Where does the future of new jeans lead?

 

 

1. History of the contract dispute between New Jeans and ADOR

 

In November 2024, NewJeans claimed that ADOR had not fulfilled its contractual obligations and notified them of the termination of their exclusive contract. The members changed their group name to "NJZ" and began their own activities. However, ADOR argued that the termination was invalid and filed a lawsuit in the Seoul Central District Court in December 2024 seeking confirmation of the validity of their exclusive contract. This marked the beginning of one of the largest legal battles in Korean entertainment history.

 

 

 

 

2. Main points of contention in the trial

The three main points of contention were:

 

Issues	New Jeans' argument	ADOR's argument
① Dismissal of former representative Min Hee-jin	A serious breach of contract that destroyed trust	The contract does not state that Min Heejin is the representative
② Management gap	Activities stalled due to dismissal	Continued album production and advertising contracts
3) Breakdown of trust	Relationship with the agency is irreparable	It is merely an emotional reason and not a legal reason for termination.

 

The court supported ADOR's arguments on all three points and confirmed the validity of the exclusive contract.

 

 

 

 

3. Court decision: Background to the finding that there was no reason to terminate the contract

 

The court stated, "The dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin does not constitute a breach of contract," and added, "It cannot be said that the change in CEO has resulted in a loss of ADOR's management ability."

In fact, even after Mr. Min's dismissal, ADOR continued to produce albums, prepare for fan meetings, plan world tours, and shoot advertisements, and no "gap in work" was found. Mr. Min could have continued to serve as a director, but he resigned of his own accord, and it was determined that there was no fault on ADOR's part.

 

 

 

 

4. What is former Chairman Min Hee-jin's "public opinion war" plan?

 

The most shocking aspect of this trial was that the court effectively recognized the “public opinion battle” waged by former Representative Min Hee-jin.
Based on KakaoTalk records and other information, the court stated the following:

 

"Min Heejin did not directly take the lead, but instead tried to create public opinion through the parents of NewJeans that HYBE was exerting undue pressure on them."

 

The ruling also included the fact that she had been in contact with investors in an attempt to make ADOR independent. The court ruled, "This cannot be considered an act to prevent a violation of the exclusive contract, but rather part of an attempt to seize management rights." Thus, the truth behind the "Min Heejin vs. Hive" conflict has officially been revealed in court records.

 

 

 

 

5. Why does a breakdown in trust not result in contract termination?

 

NewJeans argued that "the relationship of trust with the agency had broken down," but the court rejected this, stating that "emotional conflicts are not grounds for terminating a contract."

Of particular note was the ruling on the dispute over similar concepts with ILLIT, which stated, "The concept of a female idol group cannot be considered a subject of copyright or trademark, and ADOR cannot be said to have infringed on the NewJeans brand."

ADOR was also praised for taking appropriate action to protect its artists, such as requesting that photos of Hani from her trainee days be deleted.

 

 

 

 

6. Comments from both parties after the ruling and future prospects

 

Following the ruling, NewJeans' legal team released the following statement:

"We respect the ruling, but the relationship of trust with ADOR has already been completely destroyed, making it impossible for us to return and continue normal activities."

ADOR has vowed to immediately appeal the decision. Meanwhile, ADOR issued a statement saying, "After a long time, the facts have come to light, and we are deeply grateful for the court's decision," emphasizing the legal and ethical legitimacy of the case. The ruling legally confirms that NewJeans and ADOR's exclusive contract will remain valid until 2029.

 

 

 

 

7. Entertainment Industry Controversy and Expert Opinions

Many in the entertainment industry see this ruling as a turning point for the industry, and it is particularly attracting attention as a precedent to prevent unfair talent poaching (tamping). However, there are also indications that the case needs to be reexamined from the perspective of protecting artists' human rights and freedom of contract.

One industry insider said, "If NewJeans' argument is accepted, it will increase the risk for all agencies to develop new talent. This ruling will bring some order back to the entertainment industry."

 

 

 

 

8. Q&A: Questions fans are curious about

Q1. Will New Jeans return to ADOR in the future?

The members have stated that "returning is impossible." Although they have shown an attitude of respecting the ruling, they believe that the relationship of trust has already been completely destroyed, and that it will be difficult for them to return to ADOR and continue normal activities. Future developments will likely depend on the outcome of the appeal.

 

 

Q2. How long is the contract valid?

According to the court's ruling, New Jeans' exclusive contract with ADOR is valid until 2029, meaning that legally, he is still an ADOR artist.

 

 

Q3. What is Min Heejin doing now?
Min Hee-jin has established a new entertainment agency called OK Entertainment and is currently working independently. She has completely severed ties with New Jeans and is now focusing on developing new artists and planning and producing new works.

 

 

Q4. What is your relationship with HYBE?
HYBE is ADOR's parent company, and the legitimacy of the audit was legally recognized in this lawsuit. Min Hee-jin's claim of "unfair interference by HYBE" was denied by the court.

 

 

Q5. Does this have any impact on your fans?
Since ADOR holds the rights to their music distribution and existing content, it seems unlikely that New Jeans will be able to resume their music activities independently at this time. Fans can only wait and see the outcome of the appeal and future developments.

 

 

 

 

9. Summary: Where does the future of new jeans lead?

The ruling upheld ADOR's exclusive contract as fully valid, putting NewJeans at a disadvantage in legal matters. However, the members have declared an appeal, with the possibility of a reversal in the second trial in sight. It is extremely unusual for the court to read out a detailed explanation for the case for 40 minutes, and this could be called a "courtroom drama" that will go down in K-pop history.

New Jeans' "defeat" is not the end, but a new beginning.
The world is watching to see what impact this will have on the Korean entertainment industry as a whole.

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