The second mediation session in the ongoing exclusive contract dispute between girl group NewJeans and their agency ADOR has collapsed. As a result, this has pushed the matter toward a final court ruling.
On September 11, the 41st Civil Agreement Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Jeong Hoe Il, held a closed-door mediation session regarding ADOR’s lawsuit to confirm the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contracts. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes and ended without agreement. With both mediation attempts now unsuccessful, the court will proceed with its scheduled ruling on October 30.
Unlike the first mediation session on August 14, where members Minji and Danielle appeared in person, none of the five NewJeans members attended the second session. The court had previously recommended that individuals with real authority participate in hopes of reaching a compromise, but the gap between the two sides remained unresolved.
The conflict traces back to late 2024, when NewJeans began independent activities, arguing that their contracts with ADOR had effectively ended due to the agency’s breach of trust following the ouster of former CEO Min Hee Jin. ADOR countered by filing a lawsuit to confirm the contracts’ validity, claiming that the agreements remain legally binding.
The agency also applied for an injunction to block the group from pursuing independent schedules while the main case unfolded. The court sided with ADOR on the injunction, restricting NewJeans from undertaking activities without the company’s approval.
ADOR has consistently maintained that the group’s contracts are enforceable and that there is no legitimate reason for termination. The agency emphasized HYBE’s 21 billion won investment in NewJeans and argued that it had fulfilled its obligations by providing opportunities and properly managing profits.
NewJeans, however, has insisted that the trust which underpinned their contract was irreparably damaged when ADOR’s leadership changed hands to HYBE executives following Min Hee Jin’s removal. According to the group, the ADOR they originally signed with no longer exists, making the continuation of the contract impossible. The members argued that after nearly a year and a half of legal proceedings, their trust in the company had completely broken down.
Although the group previously rejected a settlement, they later expressed conditional openness to mediation. NewJeans states that reconciliation might be possible if ADOR restored conditions to how they were before Min Hee Jin’s audit. Nonetheless, negotiations failed to produce common ground in either of the court-led sessions.
The stakes remain high for NewJeans. If they proceed with independent entertainment activities without ADOR’s authorization, they risk financial penalties of 1 billion won per member per violation. If they continue promoting as a group without agency approval, the total penalty could amount to 5 billion won.
Meanwhile, the dispute is unfolding alongside another courtroom battle between HYBE and Min. The 31st Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court recently heard final arguments in lawsuits over the termination of ADOR’s shareholder agreement and the payment of stock purchase options. Min Hee Jin attended the session, marking her first public court appearance in months.
