NewJeans loses legal case against ADOR as court declares contract valid in final verdict

In a decisive end to one of K-pop’s most closely watched legal battles, the Seoul Central District Court has ruled in favor of ADOR, the label under HYBE, affirming the validity of its exclusive contract with the girl group NewJeans. The ruling, announced on October 30, marks the final verdict in a year-long dispute that has drawn massive public attention and divided fan communities across South Korea and beyond.

The court, presided over by Judge Jeong Hoe-Il of the 41st Civil Agreement Division, concluded that ADOR did not breach its contractual obligations with the five-member group, which includes Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. “It is confirmed that the exclusive contract concluded between ADOR and NewJeans is valid,” the court stated, as reported by The Korea Herald. The ruling also emphasized that the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin did not amount to a violation of the artists’ contract.

The judgment went further, directly criticizing Min Hee-jin’s actions during the conflict. The court noted, “Min Hee-jin waged a public opinion war not for the purpose of protecting NewJeans, but for the purpose of NewJeans’ independence,” suggesting that her media engagement and public statements were aimed at undermining ADOR’s authority rather than defending the artists’ welfare.

The legal tug-of-war began in November 2024 when NewJeans held an emergency press conference, accusing ADOR of trust collapse and announcing plans to terminate their exclusive contracts to operate independently under a new name, NJZ. ADOR swiftly countered with a lawsuit in December, asserting that the contracts remained binding and seeking to block any unsanctioned activities by the group.