The NewJeans legal battle with agency Ador shows no signs of cooling. Indeed, both sides continue to dig deeper into their positions. The dispute centers around the group’s attempt to terminate their exclusive contracts, a move Ador calls unjustified and unlawful.
On Thursday, the Seoul Central District Court held the third hearing in Ador’s ongoing lawsuit. Specifically, the company wants the court to uphold its contract with the five-member girl group. Although the NewJeans members were not physically present, their legal representatives appeared on their behalf.
According to NewJeans’ attorneys, the conflict stems from an internal audit of former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin. That audit, launched by parent company Hybe in May 2024, sparked tensions. They claim Hybe’s audit and its later move to oust Min were based on baseless suspicions. Notably, police cleared Min of breach of trust charges on July 18, but Hybe said it would appeal.
Furthermore, NewJeans’ legal team argued that Ador breached core management duties. Therefore, they said this failure justified the group’s decision to break away.
However, Ador completely denied the allegations. The agency argued that the group’s reasoning for contract termination kept changing. In fact, they claimed NewJeans built their case after the fact to justify their departure.
An Ador lawyer stated that this effort to void contracts post-debut was unreasonable and misleading. Moreover, the agency emphasized its financial support of NewJeans, noting a 21 billion won ($15.3 million) investment. This figure includes 7 billion won for their debut album and 2 billion won for music videos.
Consequently, Ador stressed that this support fueled the group’s rapid rise. They insisted that the court even acknowledged their role in the group’s success. Therefore, the agency questioned why the group would seek termination after just two years.
The NewJeans legal battle also includes claims about Min Hee-jin’s involvement. Ador said she had been planning to remove the group from the agency for years. For example, they cited alleged private messages that discussed contract exit strategies and media manipulation.
Additionally, Ador claimed Min’s legal team prepared the group’s termination notice, reinforcing her role in the split.
In response to mismanagement claims, Ador maintained it fulfilled all its duties. They added that each member had already earned over 5 billion won.
Despite the turmoil, Ador said it is still preparing for a group comeback. “Our staff are waiting for the day they return,” a company spokesperson said.
Ultimately, as the NewJeans legal battle unfolds, fans and industry observers await the court’s final decision.
