Did NewJeans win the court case against ADOR? All you need to know about the final verdict

NewJeans lose final verdict, failing in legal battle against ADOR. On October 30 KST, the 41st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court ruled for the South Korean record label, confirming the agency’s exclusive contract with NewJeans is valid. None of the five members attended the hearing. Only legal counsel from both sides attended.

“The exclusive contract between the plaintiff (ADOR) and the defendants (NewJeans) is still valid,” and “The plaintiff maintains its position as New Jeans’ management company, and the defendants will bear the legal costs," the court ruled (via K-media E-Daily).

The court dismissed NewJeans’ main reasons for ending the deal. It found no legal basis that the HYBE-owned label breached the contract by removing Min Hee-jin as CEO.

“It is difficult to conclude that Ador breached the exclusive contract solely on the grounds of Min Hee-jin’s dismissal. 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 stated.

They added that the K-pop act's personal belief in Min doesn’t legally prove that the contract guaranteed she would stay the CEO. The judges also ruled claims about leaked trainee videos and an alleged HYBE official’s bullying of member Hanni were insufficient. The court noted the agency offered Min a revised contract for the rest of her term and asked her to continue producing for NewJeans, but Min declined and resigned as an internal director.

According to Sports Chosun, NewJeans’ lawyers at Sejong law firm said the members “respect the court’s judgment." However, it’s not possible for the artists to come back and work normally with the company anymore. It added,

"The members plan to immediately appeal the first trial ruling, and we hope that the appellate court will comprehensively review the facts and the legal principles regarding the termination of the exclusive contract and render a wise ruling. We sincerely thank all the fans who have waited for a long time and supported us."

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ADOR previosuly secured an injunction as the court blocked NewJeans’ independent work

NewJeans (Image via X/@NewJeans_ADOR)

ADOR and NewJeans' dispute began in late November 2024. The members held a press conference on November 28, announcing they had terminated their exclusive contracts with the agency. The agency filed suit soon after, asking the court to confirm the validity of the contracts and to prevent the members from signing deals or performing independently.

In February, the group announced a rebrand as “NJZ” and signalled plans to continue activities under the new name. ADOR expanded its injunction to cover the rebranded group, and the court’s interim order halted those plans before they could proceed.

The judge approved indirect compulsory enforcement, which meant that each NJ member faces a penalty of 1 billion won for every unauthorized entertainment activity. As a result, the group’s planned independent work was halted, and their public output was also frozen.

The members appealed and filed objections. Those challenges were dismissed in subsequent hearings, and higher courts sustained the injunction that restricts independent promotions, releases, and endorsements. With the appeals denied, the provisional restraints remained in force.

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Tenasia reports that the girl group's exclusive contract runs until July 31, 2029, and could be extended further because the contract was paused during the lawsuit.

Edited by Shreya Jha