The legal battle between popular K-pop girl group NewJeans (NJZ) and their agency, ADOR, has intensified as both parties presented their arguments in court for the first time. On April 3, the two sides gathered for an initial hearing regarding NJZ’s lawsuit challenging the validity of their exclusive contract with ADOR. This marks a crucial stage in the case, as the court will assess whether the group has sufficient grounds to terminate their agreement.
NJZ’s claim
Representatives for NJZ argued that the circumstances under which the members initially signed their contracts had significantly changed due to a complete modification of ADOR’s management. As per media reports, they claimed that the agency, now under HYBE’s direction following the removal of its former CEO Min Hee Jin, had shifted so drastically that it was no longer the same company they had originally joined.
“We believe that the individual termination reasons mentioned are sufficient grounds for termination. However, even if each reason alone is not grounds for termination when all of them are combined, the conclusion is that the trust between the plaintiff and the defendant cannot be restored,” NJZ’s legal team stated in court.
The group’s representatives further emphasised that the company’s leadership transformation made it impossible for them to continue working under ADOR. The statement explained, “If all the management has been replaced, then the past and current forms of the agency are completely different corporations, even if it is the same company. We’re not just talking about Min Hee-Jin. When Min Hee-Jin was ousted, and new management came in under HYBE’s direction, the new management had completely different values from the old management, and it became a different corporation.”
Arguing that the fundamental trust between NJZ and ADOR had been irreparably damaged, the statement added, “The basic trust between NJZ and ADOR has been broken, so we cannot continue together. Rather than looking just at Min Hee-Jin, we hope that the court will take a close look at whether the current ADOR is the same as the past agency the group trusted, in this situation where Min Hee-Jin was ousted, and whether it is truly justified to rule that the defendants should trust and continue with the current ADOR.”
ADOR’s counterarguments
ADOR’s legal team denied NJZ’s claims, claiming that the group’s existence and success were not solely dependent on Min Hee Jin. The agency maintained that despite her important contributions, the group was capable of thriving under new leadership.
“In regards to production, the defendant says they cannot promote without Min Hee-Jin and that they must be together. While it is true that Min Hee-Jin contributed to creating what NJZ is today, it makes no sense to say that NJZ cannot exist without Min Hee-Jin,” ADOR argued in court.
Furthermore, ADOR highlighted that, as a subsidiary of entertainment powerhouse HYBE, they had abundant resources to support NJ’s career without Min Hee Jin’s involvement. “First, ADOR is a subsidiary of HYBE, which is the number one entertainment company in the industry. So, it is nonsense to say that ADOR could not find another producer and support NJZ from that subsidiary. Second, considering that the defendants independently prepared the Hong Kong concert without Min Hee Jin’s help and successfully completed the concert, the claim that only Min Hee-Jin could do it contradicts the defendant’s own words and actions,” they stated.
The conclusion?
During the hearing, the court enquired whether both sides were open to a possible settlement. As per Allkpop reports, ADOR were open to reaching an agreement, while NJZ denied settlement due to members’ mental states.
As the case continues to unfold, the K-pop industry watches closely to see how this legal battle will impact the future of NewJeans, ADOR, and their relationship with HYBE.
