Legal battle between NewJeans and ADOR intensifies with civil court ruling
The legal dispute between girl group NewJeans and their agency ADOR has taken a dramatic turn, as a South Korean court ruled that each member must pay ₩1 billion (approximately $730,000 USD) per instance of independent activity carried out without the agency's prior consent.
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| [NewJeans / Photo courtesy of NewJeans Official Instagram] |
On May 30, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Agreement Division 52 (Presiding Judge Heo Kyung-moo) accepted ADOR’s request for indirect compulsory enforcement—a legal mechanism used to compel compliance with court orders by imposing financial penalties on violators.
The ruling prohibits NewJeans members from engaging in any entertainment activities without ADOR’s prior approval until the first-instance verdict is reached in the ongoing lawsuit over the validity of their exclusive contract. This includes singing, composing, performing, appearing on broadcasts or events, signing advertising deals, and other commercial activities tied to their public image.
The court emphasized that “from the date this decision is served, any violation by the members will result in a ₩1 billion fine per offense, payable to ADOR.”
Although NewJeans appeared to have halted group activities after an overseas concert on March 23, the court noted that the members continued to express, both directly and indirectly, intentions to operate independently. It specifically pointed to a performance under a new group name and the release of a new song after the injunction, viewing this as a violation of a previous court order.
The court concluded that there is a continued risk of further violations, justifying the financial enforcement. Earlier, on March 21, the Civil Agreement Division 50 had also ruled in ADOR’s favor, restricting NewJeans from pursuing solo activities through a provisional injunction related to management rights and advertising contracts.
This latest decision adds pressure to the ongoing legal proceedings. NewJeans had previously claimed their exclusive contract with ADOR was breached and declared their independence in November 2024. The main lawsuit over the contract’s validity remains pending in the Seoul Central District Court.
As the conflict unfolds, the case highlights growing legal complexities in managing idol group contracts amid shifting power dynamics in the K-pop industry.