Court Rules NJZ Independent Activities Prohibited, ADOR Wins Contract Dispute
In a significant legal development, the Seoul Central District Court has ruled in favor of ADOR, affirming the validity of their exclusive contract with K-pop girl group NewJeans. This decision puts a halt to NewJeans’ attempts at independent activities following their unilateral declaration of contract termination.
Key Points of the Court Ruling
- The court granted ADOR’s injunction request to preserve their status as NewJeans’ agency and prohibit the group from entering into advertising contracts independently.
- NewJeans must return to ADOR as contracted artists.
- Independent activities or activities through a third-party agency are now prohibited.
Court’s Reasoning
The court dismissed most of NewJeans’ reasons for contract termination:
- Min Hee-jin’s return as CEO: The court stated ADOR has sufficient capacity to recruit alternative producers.
- Former CEO Park Ji-won’s vacation comments: Not seen as prohibiting entertainment activities.
- “New Burigo” phrase: Interpreted as part of proposals for NewJeans’ success, not as intention to abandon the group.
- Plagiarism claims against ILLIT: Found difficult to acknowledge.
- Album sales figure correction: Viewed as factual correction, not defamation.
Implications for Upcoming Activities
NewJeans’ scheduled appearance at Hong Kong’s ComplexCon and other overseas events may now be considered illegal if they proceed.
Background of the Dispute
- NewJeans announced contract termination in November 2024 through an emergency press conference.
- ADOR maintains the exclusive contract is valid until July 31, 2029.
- ADOR filed for confirmation of contract validity on December 3, 2024, followed by an injunction request on January 6, 2025.
This ruling marks a significant victory for ADOR and could have far-reaching implications for artist-agency relationships in the K-pop industry.
Previous article about NJZ and ADOR > NJZ and ADOR Legal Battle begins, LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT Dragged Into the Conflict During 1st Court Hearing
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