Court Rules in Favor of ADOR, Prohibiting Independent Activities of NewJeans

A South Korean court has ruled that girl group NewJeans, now operating under the new name NJZ, must cease independent activities amid their ongoing exclusive-contract dispute with their agency, ADOR.

On March 21, Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 50, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Sang-hoon, approved an injunction filed by ADOR against all five members of NewJeans. The injunction specifically restricts the group's ability to independently enter into advertising contracts and pursue entertainment activities without ADOR's authorization.

Previously, in November of last year, NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein declared they had terminated their exclusive contracts with ADOR, alleging contract violations by the agency. Subsequently, they announced their new team name, NJZ, on social media, signaling a fresh start and continuing their activities independently.

In response, ADOR sought a court injunction in January to prevent the group from independently signing advertising contracts. Later, the agency expanded the scope of the request, seeking to prohibit all entertainment-related activities, including songwriting, composing, and performances.

The court stated, "An exclusive contract may be terminated if mutual trust between the contracting parties is completely broken, but the burden of proof rests with the party alleging the breach. In this case, sufficient evidence of such a breach was not presented."

At a hearing held on March 7, NewJeans members appeared in court, strongly asserting that trust with ADOR was irreparably damaged. Minji pleaded before the court, "We terminated our contract because continuous mistreatment made it impossible for us to continue. We ask the court to understand our position."

ADOR countered, claiming the group's success largely stemmed from significant backing from HYBE and refuted the members' accusations, describing their reasons for contract termination as "groundless" and irrelevant to the core obligations of the agreement. ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young emphasized, "The purpose of this injunction is solely because we wish to continue working with NewJeans. We sincerely hope to restore our relationship with the members."

Following the court's decision, NewJeans members are now prohibited from independently conducting any entertainment or commercial activities without prior agreement from ADOR.