The contract dispute between NewJeans/NJZ and ADOR is heating up. The 5-member K-pop group has presented their case in court today, April 3.
The Seoul Central District Court held the first hearing for the lawsuit filed by ADOR against NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract. Notably, the members did not attend the hearing, as their presence is not mandatory in civil lawsuits. Instead, eight legal representatives for NewJeans and four for ADOR attended to argue the case.
NewJeans Claims Trust Relationship with ADOR is Broken
NewJeans is sticking to its claim that its trust relationship with the label has completely broken down. According to the group, the ADOR they originally signed with is essentially a completely different company now. They attributed this change to the management change including the exit of former CEO Min Hee Jin.
During the first trial, the legal representatives presented their arguments, stating, “We are not just talking about Min Hee Jin. When Min Hee Jin was ousted, and new management came under HYBE, the new management had completely different values from the past and became a different corporation. The relationship of trust has been broken, so we cannot continue together. We hope that rather than just looking at Min Hee Jin, in the situation where she has been kicked out, we hope the court will look into whether the past and current ADOR is the same as the agency the group has trusted and whether it is in line for them to continue with the current ADOR.”
NewJeans’ side countered, “While it’s true that Min Hee Jin, the former CEO, played a crucial role for NewJeans in terms of management and production, and her absence is significant, ADOR said that they could continue with other producers. However, from NewJeans’ perspective, if they truly intended to do so, they should have prepared for it from the stage before her dismissal. Even after 6-7 months from her dismissal to the point where NewJeans announced they would terminate the contract, no alternative plan was made.”
They further argued, “It’s not just the simple absence of Min Hee Jin, but the lack of communication about alternative plans that we consider important.”
They also contradicted ADOR’s claims that NewJeans can not manage activities without Min Hee Jin as they prepared and planned their ComplexCon Hong Kong performance without her help.
ADOR Refutes Claims of Removing Min Hee Jin
On the other hand, ADOR’s side refuted claims that they ‘kicked out’ Min Hee Jin and did not provide alternative producers for the group.
They stated, “ADOR is a subsidiary of the number one company in the industry, HYBE, so it is illogical to say that they cannot find another producer within the same company to support NewJeans.”
They added, “We did not oust Min Hee Jin; she left voluntarily. The company had offered her (Min Hee Jin) a renewal of her director position and a continued role in producing, but she insisted that she would leave unless she was made CEO. She made excuses to delay and eventually left. We couldn’t contact Min Hee Jin, and the defendants unilaterally declared the termination of the contract. The company had no time to explore third-party alternatives.“
They argued, “Production requires cooperation and communication with the defendants, but after Min Hee Jin left, all communication was cut off, leaving the company with no way to proceed. Therefore, blaming the suspension of production is not justified.”
The judge noted that this case is unique because NewJeans is not just asking for contract termination, but also emphasizing that they cannot work without Min Hee Jin. The judge acknowledged that “breakdown in trust” is a complex concept and will consider how to interpret trust relationships in long-term contracts.
NewJeans held an emergency press conference last November, claiming ADOR failed to meet its contractual obligations and announcing their intention to terminate the contract. The group then revealed a new team name NJZ and began independent activities.
ADOR responded by filing a lawsuit to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract with NewJeans. They also filed a separate injunction to maintain the agency’s status and prevent the group from signing advertising contracts.
On February 21, the court granted the injunction, but NewJeans objected and suspended their activities. The second hearing for the lawsuit to confirm the validity of ADOR’s exclusive contract with NewJeans is set for June 5. Hearing for NewJeans’ objection to the injunction will be held on April 9.
