ADOR Urges NewJeans to Return Ahead of 3rd Anniversary, After Court Affirms Agency Status
ADOR released a statement on June 18 following a legal decision reaffirming its status as NewJeans’ official agency, expressing hopes for the NewJeans members’ return ahead of their upcoming third debut anniversary.
Court Confirms ADOR’s Role; NewJeans members’ Solo Activities Remain Restricted
On June 17, the Seoul High Court’s Civil Division 25-2 (Presiding Judges Hwang Byung-ha, Jung Jong-gwan, and Lee Kyun-yong) dismissed the appeal filed by all five members of NewJeans. The appeal challenged a previous injunction that prohibited the members from pursuing individual entertainment activities or advertisement contracts without ADOR’s approval.
Following the ruling, ADOR stated, “There was once again a clear decision in the appellate court reaffirming that ADOR is the management agency of NewJeans. We are deeply grateful for the court’s judgment.”
They continued, “We hope that this ruling will serve as a turning point for NewJeans to return to their rightful place, so they may continue to grow and make progress. As their third debut anniversary approaches next month, we will provide our full support to help them move forward.”
The Seoul Central District Court had previously issued an injunction in favor of ADOR in April. That decision also restricted the members from signing individual contracts or engaging in independent promotional activities.
With both courts siding with ADOR, the group remains legally unable to proceed with any solo deals unless they reach a settlement with the company. However, the path forward remains unclear. A lawyer representing the members had previously stated, “The relationship of trust has completely collapsed. They’ve crossed a river they can’t return from. Reaching a settlement would be very difficult.”
ADOR had also requested indirect enforcement, which was approved by the court. Under this measure, any unauthorized solo activity by the members would result in a fine of 1 billion KRW (approx. $720,000 USD) per occurrence, per member.
Whether the parties will find a resolution remains uncertain, but ADOR appears ready to resume group activities should the members return.
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