NewJeans suffer MAJOR loss, to appeal court’s decision

K-pop girl group NewJeans have suffered a major blow in their case against Korean label, HYBE Entertainment.

Despite having parted with subsidiary label ADOR almost one year ago, it has been ruled by the Seoul Central District Court that they must fulfill their original contract which lasts from 2022 to 2029.

The initial claim made by the girls was that the departure of ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin was in violation of their contract and hence should be dismissed on those grounds, with the court disagreeing.

According to the court, “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.”

Min’s resignation as internal director took place in November 2024, at which time she insisted that she would be taking action against HYBE for “illegal acivities.”

The ruling from the Seoul Central District Court further claimed that the former CEO was offered the opportunity to revise her contract and continue working with New Jeans, which she declined.

“We sincerely hope today’s result will serve as an opportunity for the artists to calmly reflect on the matter,” a statement from the agency read in a ruling.

“We will do our best, in consultation with the artists, to bring them back to their fans,” they promised.

New Jeans’ representatives claimed, “The members respect the court’s judgment. 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.”

They declared that they would be appealing the decision of the court, “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.”

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