NewJeans vs. ADOR: A Fate That Blooms in Spring[Jeon Hyung-hwa's Straight Pen]

Reporter Jeon Hyung-hwa

Jan 14 2025, 09:54 KST

[2024 KGMA] NewJeans shared their acceptance speech after receiving the 2024 Grand Artist Award during Artist Day, the first day of the '2024 Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA)' held at Inspire Arena in Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon on the 16th. Yeongjong Island (Incheon)=KGMA Special Coverage Team /2024.11.16/

The legal dispute between NewJeans and ADOR has officially begun.

ADOR made the first move. On the 13th, ADOR announced that "last week, we filed for an 'injunction to preserve agency status and prohibit advertising contract execution' against NewJeans members at the Seoul Central District Court."

ADOR explained that "this is to be recognized as having management company status under the exclusive contract until the first trial verdict of the 'confirmation of validity of exclusive contract' lawsuit filed on December 3rd last year, and to prevent NewJeans members from independently entering into and conducting advertising contracts and activities without ADOR's approval or consent."

This was an expected development. As NewJeans and ADOR's partnership roughly concluded after the Golden Disc Awards held on the 4th, it was already widely known in the music industry that ADOR would take legal action against NewJeans. HYBE didn't even try to hide this fact. Recently, HYBE executives mentioned in meetings with media representatives that they were considering filing an injunction to prohibit advertising contracts against NewJeans.

This has accelerated the court's decision on whether NewJeans can proceed independently. While the exclusive contract validity lawsuit could take 1-2 years, the injunction request will be decided within 2-3 months.

If the court accepts ADOR's injunction request, NewJeans' independent activities will be immediately halted. Conversely, if the court dismisses it, the obstacles to NewJeans' independent activities will effectively disappear.