K-pop group NewJeans has lost its lawsuit seeking to terminate its exclusive contract with record label Ador.
A Seoul court on Thursday (30 October) ruled that the group’s agreement with its management agency remained valid and they would need to honour it till 2029 unless they won an appeal, according to The Korea Herald.
The court rejected the group’s claim that the label’s alleged misconduct and the dismissal of the band’s former creative director and Ador’s former CEO Min Hee Jin constituted grounds to end their deal, ordering NewJeans to bear the costs of the suit.
“It is difficult to conclude that Ador breached the exclusive contract solely on the grounds of Min Hee-jin’s dismissal,” the Seoul Central District Court said.
“The fact that Min was removed from her position as CEO does not in itself mean that a managerial vacuum was created or that Ador became incapable of fulfilling its contractual obligations.
“The members’ personal trust in Min alone does not establish that guaranteeing her CEO position was a fundamental obligation under the exclusive contract.
“Considering that Ador released albums, prepared fan meetings, established plans for a world tour, and provided opportunities for events and commercial shoots even when NewJeans was not cooperating, it is difficult to conclude that Ador cannot be expected to fulfil management services for NewJeans.”
None of the group – composed of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein – were present in the court. The amount to be paid has not been made public.
NewJeans’ legal representatives at Sejong Law Firm said they will appeal immediately.
“The members respect the court’s judgment,” the firm said in a statement. “But given that the relationship of trust with Ador has been completely destroyed, it is impossible for them to return and continue normal entertainment activities under the company.
“The members plan to immediately file an appeal, hoping that the appellate court will once again thoroughly review the facts and legal grounds surrounding the contract termination and reach a fair conclusion.”
NewJeans and Ador have been embroiled in a feud since last year’s ouster of Min by Ador’s parent company Hybe. Their dispute stemmed from a conflict in April 2024, when Hybe accused Min of attempting to take Ador independent, triggering an internal audit and eventual dismissal.
NewJeans held a press conference in November 2024 where they unilaterally declared their exclusive contract with Ador invalid, and accused the agency of having “neither the ability nor the will to protect” NewJeans.
Ador has denied the band’s allegations of mistreatment and bullying, maintained that they had “not violated the terms of the agreement”, and argued that a “unilateral claim of a breach of trust does not constitute valid grounds for terminating the contract”.
NewJeans sought to continue activities independently under the name NJZ, debuting a new song at ComplexCon Hong Kong. The group also announced that they were going on an indefinite hiatus, adding that it “wasn’t an easy decision, but we believe this is something we need to do at this moment”.
Ador and its parent company Hybe countered with their own legal action, maintaining that the artists’ exclusive contracts were still valid and that performing under a different name violated contractual terms.
The court at the time sided with Ador, ruling that the group’s planned promotions as NJZ would breach exclusivity clauses and granted the label’s request for an injunction to establish themselves as NewJeans’ management agency.
In its judgment on Thursday, the court also stated that after Min’s dismissal as CEO, Ador had offered her a revised contract valid for the remainder of her term and asked her to continue producing for NewJeans. However, Min instead resigned from her position as an internal director.
Ador welcomed the verdict, saying in a statement to The Independent that it had watched the “series of processes with a heavy heart” and was committed to supporting the group.
“The court determined that Ador did not violate any of its duties as a management agency, and that attempts to breach the exclusive contract by creating the appearance of a broken trust relationship should not be permitted. We express our deep gratitude for the court's decision.
“For a period of nearly a year, the courts have repeatedly ruled in various related lawsuits that the label holds the position of management agency under the exclusive contract, and that the artist must engage in entertainment activities along with us.
“We sincerely hope that today's judgment, which comes after long-term verification of various claims and facts and reaffirms prior rulings, will serve as an opportunity for the artists to calmly reflect on this matter.
“Ador is committed to re-emphasising its role and responsibilities as NewJeans’ management agency. As we stated during the trial, we have completed preparations for the artist's activities, including the release of a studio album, and are waiting. We will do our utmost to return to the fans through discussions with the artist.”
According to reports in The Korea Times, Min established a new entertainment agency on 24 October, raising fans’ hopes that the NewJeans members might be signed into it if the court sided with them.
NewJeans’ additional claims that the contract had been breached due to the leak of trainee videos to local media and alleged comments from a Hybe official that bullied Hanni were also dismissed. The court has ruled that these incidents did not constitute legal grounds for termination.
Hybe, whose sub-labels manage several of K-pop’s biggest names including BTS, Seventeen, and Le Sserafim, was also cleared of wrongdoing.
The court further rejected Min’s argument that her public campaign against Ador and Hybe had been motivated by an attempt to protect the group, stating: “It cannot be viewed that Min Hee Jin’s actions were for the purpose of safeguarding the group.”
Hybe also welcomed the decision, saying in a statement: “We sincerely hope today’s result will serve as an opportunity for the artists to calmly reflect on the matter. We also take this time to reaffirm our responsibilities as a management agency. As stated during the main trial, we have completed preparations for a full-length album and future activities. We will do our best, in consultation with the artists, to bring them back to their fans.”
NewJeans, who became one of K-pop’s most popular acts following their 2022 debut, have won multiple domestic awards and achieved rare chart success for a rookie group.
Their fresh 90s and early aughts aesthetic and sound made them popular not just in Korea, but internationally.
Their debut single “Attention” catapulted them to near-instant success, and sophomore EP Get Up debuted on the Billboard 200 at No 1 in 2023, pushing out the Barbie soundtrack.
In 2023, the group not only became the fastest K-pop act to reach one billion streams on Spotify but also entered the Billboard Hot 100 five times with the singles “Super Shy”, “OMG”, “ETA”, “Ditto”, and “Cool With You”.
BTS reportedly planning biggest world tour yet with 65 shows and new album
K-pop star apologises after performing ‘inappropriate’ song at celebrity charity gala
Author of ‘I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki’ dies aged 35
Lily Allen will perform West End Girl in full around UK theatres
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham appear to have reconciled
Joe Jonas has perfect three-word response to criticism of World Series performance
