The Seoul Central District Court ruled on October 30th, 2025, that NewJeans’ exclusive contract with ADOR remains valid. The 41st Civil Division stated that the agreement signed on April 21st, 2021, continues to hold legal weight. The court also ordered the group to pay all litigation-related costs, concluding that ADOR’s dismissal of Min Hee Jin didn’t justify ending the contract with the girl group.
“ADOR’s dismissal of Min Hee Jin from the position of CEO does not provide legitimization for the termination of the NewJeans members’ exclusive contracts. It is difficult to conclude that Min Hee Jin’s dismissal caused a gap in the group’s activities, or that it rendered ADOR incapable of conducting its business in the interest of NewJeans.”
According to the court, Min Hee Jin’s removal from her position as CEO didn’t affect ADOR’s ability to manage NewJeans or disrupt the group’s activities. In addition, the verdict stated that Hanni’s claims that ILLIT’s manager instructed the group to ignore her and that citing broken trust wasn’t a valid reason to terminate the contract.
However, NewJeans isn’t backing down. After the decision, their legal team announced plans to appeal, stressing that “trust has already been completely broken.” They stated the members can’t return to ADOR under the current conditions. Now, the next court will review the case and could determine whether NewJeans regains control over their careers or remains tied to ADOR for years to come.
“While we respect the court’s decision, our clients remain of the position that it is difficult to return to ADOR and resume activities when all trust between the two sides has been effectively shattered. We hope that the appellate court will thoroughly review the evidence and existing laws on exclusive contracts and deliver a wise decision.”