The Seoul Central District Court ruled Wednesday that K-pop group NewJeans must honor their exclusive contract with their agency Ador until 2029, dismissing the group’s attempt to terminate the agreement early.
The ruling, delivered about 11 months after NewJeans announced their intention to terminate their contract with the agency, sided with Ador in its lawsuit seeking to confirm the agreement’s validity. The court also denied the group’s claims that the agency had breached its obligations, thereby justifying termination.
Central to the case was the dismissal of Ador’s former CEO, Min Hee-jin, who played a prominent role in shaping NewJeans’ creative direction and production. The five members of the girl group argued that her removal undermined their trust in the agency and disrupted their artistic activities. However, the court found that Min’s dismissal did not constitute grounds for contract termination.
“The circumstances surrounding the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin from Ador alone do not support the view that a void occurred in management for NewJeans, or that Ador lacks a plan or the ability to carry out its duties,” the court said.
The judge also pointed out that even after Min was dismissed from her CEO position, she could still participate as a producer or outside director.
“The position of CEO was not essential for her to perform her [producing] duties,” the judge said.
On the matter of trust, the court concluded that the relationship between the group and the agency had not been sufficiently broken to justify contract dissolution.
The conflict between Ador and NewJeans began when the group members, after their request for the reinstatement of Min was denied, declared in November last year that their contract with Ador was terminated due to the agency’s breach of contract, and announced plans for independent activities.
In response, Ador filed a lawsuit in December for confirmation of the contract’s validity, asserting that the agreement with NewJeans remained in effect. The agency also filed for a preliminary injunction to block the members’ independent activities until a decision was reached. When the court granted the preliminary injunction, NewJeans members filed objections and appeals, but all of them were rejected.
Following the ruling, NewJeans members said they will appeal the first-instance verdict.
“NewJeans members respect the court’s judgment, but it is impossible to return to this company and continue normal entertainment activities in the current situation where the trust relationship with Ador is completely shattered,” said their legal representative, Shin & Kim.
“The members plan to immediately appeal the first-instance ruling, and they hope that the appellate court will comprehensively review the facts and the legal principles regarding the termination of the exclusive contract once again and make a wise decision.”
Ador expressed gratitude to the court for its ruling and announced its commitment to providing full support for the group’s resumption of activities.
“For a nearly one year, the court has repeatedly issued rulings in various related lawsuits that our company is the management entity under the exclusive contract, and that the artists must continue their entertainment activities with us,” Ador said in a statement.
The agency added that it has completed all preparations for NewJeans to restart their activities, including the release of a new album, and revealed its hope for the group’s comeback.
“We sincerely hope this ruling, which came after a long period of reviewing the facts and various claims, will encourage the artists to calmly look back on the situation,” Ador said.
“Our company has completed preparations for activities, including the release of an album, and we are waiting. We will do our utmost to ensure the artists can return to their fans after holding discussions with them.”