On October 30 KST, the 41st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court issued its initial ruling in the lawsuit challenging the exclusive contracts between ADOR and girl group NewJeans.
The court ruled, “The exclusive contracts signed on April 21 between ADOR and the members of NewJeans remain valid.” Additionally, the defendants were ordered to cover all related legal costs.
The court noted, “ADOR’s dismissal of Min Hee Jin as CEO does not justify terminating NewJeans’ contracts. There is insufficient evidence that her dismissal disrupted the group’s activities or prevented ADOR from managing the group’s interests.”
Both parties have until November 14 KST to file an appeal. If no appeal is made, NewJeans will remain contractually bound to ADOR until 2029.
Following the ruling, NewJeans’ legal team confirmed they plan to appeal. Their statement read, “While we respect the court’s decision, our clients feel it is difficult to return to ADOR and continue activities due to the complete breakdown of trust. We hope the appellate court carefully reviews the evidence and laws regarding exclusive contracts to reach a fair decision.”